Music & makeovers! I swoon for chippy paint, a gorgeous patina and a fabulous song!!! I love great music (read: Bruce Springsteen & Otis Redding), white lilacs, walking in freshly fallen snow, the Golden Girls, road trips and the fall!!!
The #1 song on the countdown was called “the greatest love song of the past 50 years” when it was released in 1969 by none other than Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. It also has the distinct honor of being the most covered Beatles song second only to “Yesterday”. The top song on my list is…drum roll please…”Something” by the Beatles.
Inspired by James Taylor’s 1968 song “Something In The Way She Moves” and written by George Harrison for his first wife, Pattie Boyd, the song was the masterpiece of his career as a Beatle. It was released on the album “Abbey Road” and issued with “Come Together” as a double single which hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1969.
That was the Beatles 18th chart topper, putting them one song ahead of Elvis Presley’s previous record of 17. A video of the Beatles and their wives set to the song was also released that year to promote it and the album amid rumors that a break up of the Fab Four was imminent.
Harrison’s lyrics expressed both his love for his wife while acknowledging the uncertainty that is the future:
“Something in the way she moves Attracts me like no other lover Something in the way she woos me
You’re asking me will my love grow I don’t know, I don’t know You stick around now it may show I don’t know, I don’t know”
Legends including Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Elton John & Willie Nelson have covered “Something” either on record or live in concert. Sadly Harrison’s marriage to Boyd did not grow, as she eventually left him for his best friend, Eric Clapton. But that’s another song (“Layla” to be exact).
After the Beatles broke up, Harrison went on to have a successful solo career and hosted one of the first benefit concerts ever-1971’s Concert for Bangladesh.
The Beatles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1988 by Mick Jagger and Harrison was inducted as a solo artist in 2004 by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, who were members of Harrison’s other band-the Traveling Wilburys .
As if the attacks of 9/11/01 were not devastating enough to the world that year, two months after those tragedies we lost George Harrison to cancer, which left only two of the four Beatles around to carry on the legacy of one of the greatest bands of all time. Sigh 😦
There you have it, Vixens-my picks for the top 14 love songs. Hope I included some of your favorites or helped you discover some new ones.
***BONUS: One of my favorite songs is named “Valentine” and it is by E Street guitarist Nils Lofgren, with a little help from the Boss himself.
***BONUS TWO: If you have never seen the Golden Girls episode entitled “Valentine’s Day“, take about 20 minutes out now to watch it. I love all their episodes, but this one is in their top 10.
*****Blogger’s Note: Sorry for the delay, Vixens. Computer/technical/life difficulties prevented me from finishing the countdown last month. I will finish it over the next three days and then we will resume our regularly scheduled programming!!! Thanks for your patience!!!*****
How do I love Bruce Springsteen? Let me count the ways. I can’t-there are just too many. He is one of my heroes, not just in music but in life. I hope I get the chance to thank him in person one day for everything he has given me.
One of those things is the #3 song on the countdown, “If I Should Fall Behind“, from his 1992 album, Lucky Town. This song is one of the most honest accounts of “what this world can do” to people in a relationship they spent so many years building, but with a little foresight and a lot of commitment, maybe they can side step the landmines if they remember they are in it together:
“We swore we’d travel darlin’ side by side We’d help each other stay in stride But each lover’s steps fall so differently But I’ll wait for you And if I should fall behind Wait for me
Now everyone dreams of a love lasting and true But you and I know what this world can do So let’s make our steps clear that the other may see And I’ll wait for you If I should fall behind Wait for me”
When he performs this song in concert, it is such a special moment with him and his different band mates taking a turn with the lyrics. But Springsteen and his guitar remain the steady constant presence on the stage throughout the entire song. Very comforting.
One of the things I cherish most about the Boss is that he never, even in his younger days, painted a sappy picture of love and romance. There was always the element of truth that even love was not always enough. For instance, in the song “I Want To Marry You” (from The River album), he sang: “To say I’d make your dreams come true would be wrong, but maybe darlin’ I could help them along.” Pure poetry, utter truth.
Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999 by U2’s Bono.
A music countdown of any kind would never be complete without a song from the King himself, Elvis. And a Valentine’s Day list of great love songs would never be complete without his 1961 hit “Can’t Help Falling In Love“.
Written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore & George David Weiss, the song hit #2 on the Pop chart & #1 on the Easy Listening chart for six weeks. It was featured in the movie “Blue Hawaii” and the soundtrack went on to spend 20 weeks in the #1 spot on the Albums Chart.
I cannot imagine anyone, male or female, who is not captivated by Elvis’ delivery of such beautiful and heartfelt lyrics:
“Take my hand take my whole life too For I can’t help falling in love with you”
This song was Elvis’ finale for the last decade of his career, but my guess is women swooned as much then as they did during the early days of his hip shaking career. One listen to this or any Elvis song for that matter and you understand why there was no one like Elvis Aaron Presley and there never will be.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 by Julian and Sean Lennon. This year would have marked the King’s 80th birthday and even though he has been gone almost 40 years, you can still celebrate his legacy by taking a pilgrimage to Graceland.
I had the exquisite pleasure of hearing Bruce Springsteen perform this song as one of his encores, and it was phenomenal. Of course Bruce’s voice is nothing like Elvis’ but then again who’s is? But Springsteen gave the song all the passion he had , which made his performance simply gorgeous. It was especially poignant for me as I sat there in the crowd thinking, “I am watching my musical idol sing a song by my mother’s musical idol. Too cool.”
If only she could have been there with me to enjoy it in person. Sigh.
The next song on my list is dedicated to my mother who was a big fan of the singer in the #10 spot on my countdown. His dance moves on stage earned him the nickname “Mr. Excitement” by some and “the black Elvis” by others. But make no mistake: This man had a voice like no one else before or after him. The singer? Jackie Wilson. The song? “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher”.
Reaching #6 on the charts in 1967 & written by Gary Jackson and Carl Smith, rumor has it that Wilson recorded the vocal track for this song in one take. If that is true, it is an incredible testament to his magnificent voice and talent. He had an astonishing 47 R&B hit songs from 1958 to 1973. They ran the gamut from ballads to dance tunes to true soul numbers. He was so popular overseas in 1963 that the Beatles opened for one of Wilson’s shows.
“Higher & Higher” is as close to perfect as a song gets, from its perfectly delivered lyrics, to its great impossible-to-sit-still-to-so-get-up-and-move beat, to the incredibly pristine horn arrangements, to the fantastic bass line, to the polish of the entire production. There are not too many love songs like this one, probably because there are not too many performers like Wilson.
His exuberant stage performances were copied by the likes of James Brown, Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars, to name a few. But no matter how great his dance moves were, nothing compared with the range, power, intensity and considerable passion of Wilson’s voice.
Sadly, that voice was silenced in 1984 when Wilson was just 49 years old. He became incapacitated after suffering a heart attack on stage in 1975 and spent his remaining years in a nursing home. As was unfortunately common practice in the early days of Rock & Roll, Wilson died virtually penniless due to the machinations of his record company and manager. The end of Wilson’s story is one of the saddest in music history.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 by Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band.
Notable covers of “Higher & Higher” have been done by Dolly Parton, Rita Coolidge, and Rod Stewart. But my favorite cover is by one of my heroes (and future husband, if God is listening), Bruce Springsteen. He started playing this song live with more and more frequency in the last decade, usually as one of his encores. He and the E Street Band gave it everything they had in this clip from one of their shows in 2009.
Music is such a special part of my life, and Christmas songs are no different. There have been so many great versions of almost every song, it was hard to narrow it down to just 20. But with 10 days to go before the big day, I thought I would share my list with all of you.
Each song includes a link to a YouTube video. I do not own the rights to anything, nor am I associated with any of the channels/videos that I chose. I just picked ones that showcased either the artists and/or the song enough to give you the best feel for the tune (in my humble opinion).
All opinions are my own.
What are some of your favorite Christmas songs? Tell me in the comments below.
Enjoy!!!
1) Merry Christmas Baby by Bruce Springsteen ( written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore).
It’s Bruce. To say this is perfect would only be redundant.
2) Christmas Time is Here by the Peanuts ( written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi).
The Peanuts were my best friends when I was a kid, and today they are just as special to me. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is the main reason why. If all I did for the holiday season was watch this special, my Christmas would still be perfect.
3) White Christmas by Otis Redding (written by Irving Berlin).
Yes, I know all about the popularity of Bing Crosby’s version. However, in my humble opinion, Redding brings such a stunning soulful element to his version of this song I really cannot listen to any other one. And if it was good enough for the “Love Actually” soundtrack, it is good enough for me.
4) Winter Wonderland by Ray Charles (written by Felix Bernard).
Charles’ take on this is as unique and gorgeous as his version of “America The Beautiful”. Truly a holiday gem.
5) Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives (written by Johnny Marks).
Who does not want a singing snowman??? Burl Ives is one of the reasons why I still tune in to watch “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” even now.
6) Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love (written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry).
Love has performed this song on Letterman’s show since 1993. You have to watch both the studio version and the live version to truly appreciate this song and Love’s voice.
7) Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (written by Charles Wesley).
Between the Peanuts characters singing it at the end of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and it being the song that celebrated George Bailey’s worth in “It’s A Wonderful Life”, it is impossible for me to hear any version of this song and not get verklempt. A multitude of singers have covered this song but Martina McBride, Neil Diamond & Frank Sinatra’s versions are among my favorites.
8) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland (written by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane).
Tony Bennett called Garland the greatest singer he ever heard. I am in no position to argue with a man of his talent and taste.
9) Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley (written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson).
It’s ELVIS!!!
10) O Come All Ye Faithful by Nat King Cole (written by John Francis Wade).
Most people associate him with the most famous version of “The Christmas Song”, but it is this Christmas classic that I love the most of Cole’s holiday recordings.
11) The Christmas Song by Tony Bennett (written by Mel Torme & Robert Wells).
Tony Bennett is a legend. If you do not have any of his music in your collection, you are doing yourself a disservice.
12) It’s a Marshmallow World by Dean Martin (written in 1949 by Carl Sigman and Peter DeRose).
I think Frank Sinatra would even agree that Martin was probably the coolest member of the Rat Pack.
13) Celebrate Me Home by Kenny Loggins (written by Bob James and Kenny Loggins).
Not a cover of a Christmas classic, but a song of Loggins’ very own is now a holiday staple.
14) What Christmas Means To Me by Stevie Wonder (written by Anna Gordy Gaye (yes, Marvin Gaye’s first wife) & George Gordy).
Another original Christmas tune that has become a staple of the holiday. And who can forget Will Ferrell’s “Elf” jumping on the mattresses with his little brother while this song was playing?
15) Silver Bells by Rosemary Clooney & Bing Crosby (written by Jay Livingston & Ray Evans).
Before her nephew George was probably even born, Rosemary Clooney was Hollywood’s “it” girl. Anything she sang was perfection and pairing her voice with Bing Crosby’s turned a song into a spectacular event.
16) Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon (written by John Lennon & Yoko Ono).
From the man who told us “love is the answer”, peace was the gift he wanted for the world, and not just at Christmas.
17) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams (written by Eddie Pola and George Wyle).
I’ll admit this song now reminds me of back to school shopping thanks to a fabulous campaign several years ago by Staples, but it is a holiday classic nonetheless.
18) The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth by Bing Crosby & David Bowie (Drummer Boy written by Harry Simeone, Henry Onorati & Katherine Kennicott Davis, and the Peace on Earth music & lyrics written by Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman and Alan Kohan expressly for the recording by Crosby and Bowie).
In theory this was an odd pairing, but in principle their voices worked so well together it is hard to imagine this season without this song. But I still wonder what would have happened if Bowie had shown up at Crosby’s house dressed as Ziggy Stardust??? (LOL)
19) O Holy Night by Eric Cartman (written by Adolphe-Charles Adam).
South Park is one of my all time favorite shows, and this clip illustrates just one of the reasons why. Any reverence I had for this song is gone thanks to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, but I would not have it any other way!!!
20) Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Elmo and Patsy (written by Randy Brooks).
This brings back memories of me and my cousins signing this song to my grandmother, who I miss everyday, not just at Christmas. But this makes me feel a little closer to her.
Happy birthday to one of my heroes, Bruce Springsteen.
Before I discovered his music, my world was so dark I forgot what light was like. Then I bought the “Born To Run” album and heard the words that changed my life: “What else can we do now except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair.”
Thank you for every note of every song. What you have given me, let alone the world, is immeasurable.
Because of the Springsteen concert, I spent last weekend in Connecticut. While Saturday was all about Bruce, Sunday was all about shopping. And what better place to shop than a flea market? This stop: The Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market in New Milford, CT.
First stop on my road trip……breakfast!!!
About 90 minutes after leaving my hotel, I arrived at the flea market.
This is just one of at least 50 aisles for shoppers to walk down at the ET Flea.
I love the look of vintage metal signs.
Love these buckets!!!
My weakness…..vinyl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a blast from the past!!! This would look totally cool in a vintage kitchen!!!
Isn’t this adorable??? It would work inside or outside to hold books, plants, a bucket of flowers or as an extra seat!!! Too cute!!!
Some of the new items you can purchase at the ET Flea include plants.
And more plants with pretty flowers!!!
Don’t just take my word for it about how great the ET Flea is…..local cable shows were there to see what all the fuss is about, too!!!
My scores from the ET Flea: an old gym locker basket for $20.00 and a blue & white floral sugar bowl for $3.00. Add that to the $2.00 admission fee and all I spent at the sale was $25.00!!! I love thrifty days like this!!!
One month after seeing him induct the E Street Band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I was lucky enough to see Bruce Springsteen and company in concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT (please forgive the poor picture quality…..I was in the last row and the lighting was fighting me!!!).
Bruce and the band were in their usual exquisite form, performing classics like “The Promised Land”, “Born to Run” and “Dancing in the Dark” to sublime covers of Gary U.S. Bonds’ “Quarter to Three” and the Isley Brothers’ “Shout”. But my favorite moment of the night? A beautiful acoustic version of “Thunder Road” by Bruce, his guitar and his harmonica-with accompanying vocals by the audience. Sublime. Special thanks to the Rhode Island guy sitting next to me for making the night extra fun.
A Springsteen concert is like a family reunion. You get together with people you did not know you were related to, but once you discover you are family, you party. And dance. And sing. To some of the best music ever made!!!
Lilacs & Rust 