Tag Archives: musicforthemorningafter

Music Monday: July 29, 2024

Posted in Music Monday by

Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

Blog image for 2024

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Another big loss in music for 2024. Singer Abdul “Duke” Fakir died on July 22 at age 88. He was the last surviving member of The Four Tops, one of Motown’s premier vocal groups. The four original members were together for 44 years without any personnel changes, a feat nearly unheard of in the music industry. On top of their success with Motor City material, the Tops also covered songs from outside of that genre including “If I Were A Carpenter” and “Walk Away Renee”, a cherished favorite of mine. They were also the only Motown group to perform at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in 1985. It is indeed the end of a beautiful era of music.

Abdul
Four Tops

Top: Abdul “Duke” Fakir in 2009 at the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony where The Four Tops received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Bottom: The group circa 1968 (L-R): Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Levi Stubbs, Fakir and Lawrence Payton. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Happy birthday to singer/songwriter Pete Yorn who just celebrated his 50th. Born July 27, 1974 in New Jersey, he first rose to fame in 2001 with his incredible debut, musicforthemorningafter. Ten more studio albums followed along with several live ones and EPs. He has also covered a few songs by that other guy from Jersey, Bruce Springsteen: “Dancing In The Dark” and “New York City Serenade”. Yorn’s take on the Albert Hammond 1972 classic, “It Never Rains In California”, was featured in the 2003 movie, “Stuck On You”. Yorn just announced his new record, The Hard Way, will be released next month.

Pete

Pete Yorn circa 2022. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I just rewatched “After Life” for the 900th time since it ended in 2022. The incredibly beautiful series, written & directed by my spirit animal, Ricky Gervais, affected me in a way no other series ever has. That is saying something given the fact that TV has been a lifelong constant of mine. The series was spectacularly real, heartbreaking, funny, brave and unbelievably eloquent. And the music chosen for each episode was absolute perfection.

A song featured in S2 E2 was one I had never heard before and the sheer beauty of it hit me to my core. It was written by one of my favorite songwriters, the American treasure known as Jimmy Webb. His longtime friend & musical collaborator, Glen Campbell, recorded it first for his 1988 album, Light Years.  Then he recorded it with Webb the same year for a Canadian TV show but it was not released until 2012 on Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb: In Session.  Webb recorded it himself for his 1996 album,  Ten Easy Pieces, and it is this version that was featured in the show. I never thought I could love Webb more after the elegance of “Wichita Lineman” but I was wrong.

Jimmy

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Four Tops: “7 Rooms Of Gloom” ( 1967, written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland).

Pete Yorn: “Lose You” (2001, written by Pete Yorn).

Jimmy Webb: “If These Walls Could Speak” (1996, written by Jimmy Webb).

Stay safe & well.

Music Monday: June 12, 2023

Posted in Music, Music Monday by

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another edition of Music Monday.

Bruce quote 2023

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I am woefully behind in streaming many shows and movies, so much so that I will probably never catch up. That has a lot to do with me rewatching the shows I absolutely adore. So really I am OK with waiting to find new ones. Until I stumble upon one that envelops every part of me. Then I am all in.

When I was watching “Veep” during its seven year run (2012-2019), one of the recurring guests I really enjoyed was Hugh Laurie as Senator Tom James. I remember him as Rachel’s airplane seat neighbor on an episode of “Friends” (he broke the news to her that she & Ross were indeed on a break LOL!). I also saw him a lot during several award seasons for his many nominations for his role as the title character in “House” (for which he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series in 2006 & 2007). But I kept putting off that series. Until now.

It is exactly how every one described-hilarious, sad, touching, quirky, smart, insightful and relatable in more ways than one. And despite the fact that Dr. House acts very much like an adult Eric Cartman most of the time, the doctor’s brilliant diagnostic skills are unmatched by any other medical specialist who might be in a 9,000 mile radius. I fell into the series in the middle when I watched a S5 episode with a friend who told me I was starting with the darkest episode of the series. No spoilers for anyone who has not seen it yet (even though it was broadcast from 2004-2012, but then I was deeply invested in the ABC series, “Lost”). And Laurie is also a musician who plays the piano, guitar and harmonica in the series. How could I not like that?

Like many shows “House” features great acting, great writing, great storytelling and great music. And the episode I started with featured today’s song which fit the arc perfectly. The singer happens to be another guy from New Jersey I am quite fond of, Pete Yorn. His acoustic cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” made me a fan for life, not to mention so many of Yorn’s original tracks like today’s pick. It is from his incredibly wonderful 2001 debut album, musicforthemorningafter. Every time my intense love of music aligns with my passion for a great series, all is right in my world.

“Stop before you fall into the
Hole that I have dug here
Rest even as you are starting
To feel the way I used to”.

Hugh 1A

Yorn

Top: Hugh Laurie as Dr. House. Bottom: Pete Yorn’s 2001 debut album. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

Pete Yorn: “Lose You” (2001, written by Pete Yorn).

Stay safe & well.