aSongforCon #12
Randy Crawford – You Bring the Sun Out
always did and always will. thank you for showing me the way x
musicology #0673
Randy Crawford
musicology #492
SoulBoy #11
(Doris Troy – Please Little Angel)
Ladies with Soul … Lots to choose from; Aretha Franklin, Carla Thomas, Candi Staton, Randy Crawford, Millie Jackson, Mary Wells, Gwen McCrae, Vicki Anderson, Marva Whitney, Lyn Collins, Barbara Lewis, Etta James, Dee Dee Warwick, Fontella Bass, Minnie Ripperton, Marie Knight, Dee Dee Sharp, Mitty Collier…as well as contemporary kittens such as Angie Stone, Brandy, India Arie, Beyonce…and those are just the ones off the top of my head !
As difficult as it was to choose..today’s cut, (courtesy of Doris ‘Just One Look’ Troy), has ALL the right ingredients; Vocals, Lyrics and Production..
Bronx born Doris Higginsen begun her career singing Gospel in her fathers choir but it was as a songwriter that she scored her first hit ‘How About That’ recorded by Soul pioneer Dee Clark in 1960. Three years later she was spotted by James Brown working as an usherette at the Apollo and in that same year she wrote and recorded the Mod/ernist classic ‘Just One Look’. Not sure how or why but Doris didn’t go on to receive the critical acclaim that her talents deserved. Employed by the Beatles at Apple as Artist, Writer and producer Doris sung backup and worked with some of the UK’s most established musicologists, (The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and The Moody Blues), but failed to make a commercial impact as an artist in her own right. After a few years in the wilderness Doris’s story became a successful stage show ‘Mama I Want To Sing’ which is scheduled for a cinema release this month? I didn’t know that before researching for today’s cut but musicology works in mysterious ways so it makes complete sense to me.
musicology #466
2LegendsClash II #2
(Dinah Washington – How Deep Is The Ocean)
Dinah Washington…for themusicologist, the greatest female singer to ever record. Yes there are others such as the sublime Mahalia Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Aretha Franklin, Randy Crawford and a whole host of magnificent vocalists to consider but for me Dinah wears the crown.
Not sure how much importance it has to anyone else, (but for me it has resonance), Ruth Lee Jones was born August 29th 1925 under a sign I am inextricably drawn to..Virgo…I know and love too many, (more than any other sign), to dismiss it as coincidence. Not sure exactly why but in my experience honesty is a key trait of those born under the sign and for me that alone is magnetic…when Dinah sings I listen.
Her career begun in 1940 but it wasn’t until hooking up with Lionel Hampton, (who had previously been part of Benny Goodman’s trailblazing quartet along with Teddy Wilson), on December 29th 1943 that her star began to rise. Much has been written about Dinah’s battles with various substances as well as her seven husbands !! which considering she died at the tender age of 39 says plenty about her credentials to sing about the Joys and Pains of love with such authenticity and passion.
Quincy Jones, (who knows a thing or two about musicology !!), described Dinah’s style with this eulogy saying she “could take the melody in her hand, hold it like an egg, crack it open, fry it, let it sizzle, reconstruct it, put the egg back in the box and back in the refrigerator and you would’ve still understood every single syllable.”
Today’s cut is Dinah at her best singing a song written by master songwriter Irving Berlin.
Listen Tune….
musicology #53
coversweek .. day1
(Randy Crawford – Knocking On Heaven’s Door)
due to the popularity of themusicologists recent thematics, (ladiesweek/mansweek/duets/vocalgroups), as well as the personal pleasure gained by sharing such music it’s time to jump back into the saddle and throwdown a new theme.
coversweek .. alternative renditions of well known tunes …
most of the time I favour the original but on occasion an artist brings out something different in the tune and reaches new ground, as is the, (subjective), case with the seven pieces this week.
first up is a female vocalist who has already featured on themusicologist, (musicology #26 ), with a pucker rendition of a Bob Dylan song, (first of two Dylan covers), from the movie Pat Garret & Billy The Kid. themusicologist is a BIG fan of Dylan having grown up listening to the cat from ‘early out’ and I place him high up the learning tree as one o me ‘learning facilitators’ along with father Curtis, the Modfather, the Poet, Van Morrison and a few others so, without further delay ..
musicology #26
day #6
(Randy Crawford – You Might Need Somebody)
moving into the eighties with a piece of musicology that rings many a bell. BIG Lp, (secret combination), at the home of themusicologist in 1981/2. Well do I remember all the ladies singing this at the top of their voices after a few glasses of the red stuff, (you all know who you are), I could have pulled out a less well known piece to impress the Cats but thats NOT what musicology is to me.
It’s tunes like this that evoke strong memories and made emotional impressions on a young boy coming of age, helping to shape this heart into how it responds today. I can almost taste, smell and see the times in the minds eye. final day of ladiesweek tomorrow and then it’s time for the men to step up to the M.I.C
themusicologist 