Both Sides Now

 My musical experiences this summer centered--not surprisingly--on music from my generation, although with some element of new presentation.

The live music highlights were from the Newport Folk Festival.  Paul Simon hosted a set, playing emcee at times (as in a timely revision of "American Tune" sung by Rhiannon Giddens) but singing as well, with a solo version of "Sounds of Silence."  His voice is considerably weakened but he still can create new phrasings on his old songs.

But the big hit of the Festival was the surprise appearance of Joni Mitchell, participating in a set of her songs with Brandi Carlile, originally announced as a Carlile spot.  Carlile and other younger musicians as well as Joni's contemporaries have been playing privately in what became known as "Joni's Jams" at her home, during Mitchell's recovery from serious illness. 

The tunes are all featured on YouTube, some shot by fans and others with the official Newport sponsorship.  The highlight was her remarkable solo vocal on "Both Sides Now".  I don't know anyone who has seen or heard this performance who hasn't done so in tears.  Such depth, such courage, such artistry, is a moment of a lifetime.  The love for her on that stage and in that crowd is palpable.

On my computer, YouTube posts "suggestions" of other videos on the right, and one caught my eye: a  50th anniversary recording of the Band's signature song, "The Weight," which featured Robbie Robertson and Ringo Starr.  This turns out to be a production of an outfit called Playing for Change that edits together bits from a range of international singers and players performing in their own countries--in this case, all of them mind-blowingly excellent.  Most aren't stars, at least in the U.S., but I'm already listening to Larkin Poe, a duo I didn't know about.

This led me to a succession of earlier Play for Change videos--for example, versions of "All Along the Watchtower" (which includes Lakota Singers), "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay", "Gimme Shelter" (which suggests what a version by its original backup singer Mary Clayton might have sounded like, plus I've finally understood the lyrics.)  There are others.  Several of the earlier videos begin with street musicians literally playing for change, but of course, the meaning is double.  Additionally there's "Teach Your Children" performed by an international Playing for Change live band onstage.

These are pure nourishment.  They have lasted and we've lasted to hear them again in these new ways. It's all earned.

 So get some today--while they last.  These YouTube videos are free, and the ads are all at the beginning.  There's so little left on the Internet that's even tolerable, it seems prudent to get all of what remains. 

You Get What You Give

 

 Democracy prevailed, as President Biden said, but the human prospect is still pretty iffy. But whatever happens, as moments in the virtual Inaugural remind us, humanity did something transcendent. We sing. And we dance. 

 There were no joyous crowds, so apart from speeches, the megastar singing, the fashion and a song of words called a poem, all the joy was virtual, and you had to look for it. But the Inaugural committee provided it. Apart from Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez etc., who were great, a lot of people probably saw the evening program, which to my mind had its moments but was uneven. Maybe it was all the commercials.

 What a lot of people didn’t see was the virtual Parade Across America program in the afternoon, which mostly featured non-celebs demonstrating the energy and grace that’s part of their ongoing lives, whatever else has been going on. Towards the end of it was a two minute plus video, Dance Across America, which featured trained and professional dancers with some amateurs (which means they do it for the love of it, because it is its own reward.) That’s the exhilarating video above.

Also part of that program was a music video, made recently by Gregg Alexander, lead writer and singer of the late 90s band New Radicals. After one hit single, he disbanded it, tired of the business (according to Wikipedia sources) and concentrated on writing for others.

 But that hit was a song called “You Get What You Give,” and it was a Biden family favorite, especially in the hard times during Beau’s fatal illness. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff had it played during 2020 campaign rallies. So Alexander got some musicians together to record a new version, and this video for the virtual Inaugural parade program.

 I missed this song completely when it was new. How could that happen? Not only is it catchy with great lyrics, but the original video for it was shot in a shopping mall. In context, it’s a kind of fight song for teen millennials, caught in the servant sector with no discernible way out.  

 Though the visuals in the new video are uneven, Alexander’s new vocal is more soulful. The song always had heart. And the fight song lyrics still work: “We got the dreamer’s disease.” “You got the the music in you...Don’t give up/you’ve got a reason to live/Can’t forget/We only get what we give.” 

 As a species we’ve trashed the planet and our own potential, and seem intent on doing ourselves in, knowing that’s what we’re doing, but unable to stop ourselves. But we've cultivated another side of us so maybe we’ll squeak through, who knows? Anyway, as long as we’re here I expect we’ll still be singing and dancing. These video suggest that these are the flowers of our civilization. Experience them now.

When It's Always Summer

 

 

 I send along this oddly unknown song, sung by Louis Armstrong, music by Dave Brubeck and lyrics by Iola Brubeck, to celebrate Margaret (that's Margaret K.) on her birthday. 

R.I.P. Adam Schlesinger

Covid 19 induced deaths are mounting, including artists and public figures in every area.  Making news Wednesday was the death of Adam Schlesinger, known to some as a performer in the Fountains of Wayne and others as one of the better pop songwriters of our time, particularly songs for film and TV.

Probably his most famous composition is one you've heard about here recently: "That Thing You Do," the title song of the Tom Hanks-written and directed movie of 1996.

Schlesinger was 52.  His death is described as a consequence of complications arising from covid 19.  He had two daughters.

His death is tragic, but if in his life he left behind nothing more than this irresistibly joyful tune, he did very, very well.  May his rest in peace, while the joy he brings lives on.

The video above is one of a couple on Youtube shot by audience members at small venue performances by Schlesinger (on bass and backup vocals) and Mike Viola with lead vocals and guitar, both of them reprising their roles on the soundtrack recording, which they also co-produced.  I've chosen the one with the best sound.

Many Things They Do

I can tell from all your cards and letters that you are wondering whether the Wonders' great song "That Thing You Do" has been performed by any other musicians, even an actual musical group.  And yes it has!  It was most famously performed (with slightly different lyrics appropriate to the occasion) by the A cappella group Pentatonix to honor Tom Hanks at his Kennedy Center Honors in 2014.  It's especially nice for the reaction shots of Hanks' sons, singing along in the audience.

The Wonders were a fictional band, created for the movie.  But the actors who played the band all learned their instruments so they could credibly look like they are playing.  Tom Everett Scott in particular learned to play drums quite well, but all the others could play at least the title song.  When they went on publicity tours overseas, they also went on concert tours: they became an actual band, if only briefly.

Similarly, the label in the film that released their record, that the Tom Hanks character works for, was the fictitious Playtone.  Playtone subsequently became Hanks' real TV and movie production company (Play/Tone) which has won 52 Emmys so far, and produced several of Hanks movies like Cast Away as well as Polar Express, Mamma Mia! and Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House.

The actors who played the Wonders remained friends (Steve Zahn, who played the lead guitarist, was the best man for Tom Everett Scott's wedding) and several members "reunited" a few years ago to perform the song in LA on the film's 20th anniversary.  As mentioned before, Charlize Theron (with a relatively small part in her second movie) presented what was essentially a lifetime achievement award to Tom Hanks at this year's Golden Globes.  They were both nominated for top acting awards in this year's Oscars, and though neither won, they sat together in the audience and made news by leading the chants to turn the lights back on for the speech by the producer for the surprise best picture winner Parasite.

The Wonders on record were studio musicians with Mike Viola singing lead and the song's writer, Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, singing backup.  The two co-produced the track.  In the movie, the song reaches #2 on the Billboard charts in 1964.  In what is otherwise known as the real world, the song was released on the Playtone Label by Epic, peaking at 41 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1996 (the year of the movie's release), and scoring in the top twenty on adult contemporary charts.

Among the mostly live performance videos of the song on YouTube are several featuring singer Mike Viola, including this tasty acoustic version with an audience that knew just how to clap and sing along, as well as with various bands including Adam Schlesinger and Fountains of Wayne.  Unfortunately, the audio isn't great.  The audio is much better for another Viola and Schlesinger performance.  Once again, the audience provides the hand-claps.

Johnathon Schaech, who played the lead singer in the movie, has sung the song live here and there, including with Curtis Peoples and with some LA rockers.

 Some amateur ensembles have posted on YouTube, as well as (among others) bands called The Bloomfelds ,  Old Chevy and  Bubbles.  A Japanese band apparently, Shakabitts does a wild version. There are other A capella and acoustic versions, a piano ballad version, guitar only, drum only, etc.  There's even one featuring oboe, cello and violin that's worth sharing:




And of course, there's a "That Thing You Do" karaoke! A lot of people like this song!  There's even a performance  by actual pop stars, Nsnych, playing it in concert, pretty much a note for note cover but with great vocals and energy.  Ironically if appropriately, it was featured in their 60s tribute.



 Still, for me, the Wonders movie version is the best.

The movie's conceit is that the band intended this song to be a ballad, until their new drummer spontaneously gave it a beat during its first performance, and the rest is history.  Actually to my ear, this song structurally resembles "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," which was a 1959 hit as a ballad by the Platters.

The Wonders Make It--And Break It

That tune you never get tired of--well, I never get tired of it. In That Thing You Do, the Wonders reach the top with an appearance on a mythical West Coast version of the Ed Sullivan Show--a coast-to-coast network showcase.  The TV studio camera direction scenes are an obvious homage to A Hard Day's Night (and not the first time that film is suggested.)  The "careful girls-- he's engaged" super mirrors the "he's married" under John Lennon's name on the Sullivan show, although in this case it's not quite true.

Also intercut are scenes of Shades' (the drummer, whose story this mostly is) family watching back in Erie: his previously dismissive father and hostile sister and passively accepting mother, plus the guy he replaced as drummer who still wears a cast on his broken arm.  They are (finally) wild with excitement,  Because: he's on TV!

This turns out to be not only the high point for the Wonders but the beginning of a quick end.  Already their bass player has disappeared (off with Marine buddies at Disneyland) and is replaced for this show by a studio musician.  By the end of the day, the band has completely dissolved, and all the romances end.  But of course, another one--the one that we all know shouldn't have happened in the first place--begins.  And they all lived happily ever after, more or less.

The Wonders' One Hit

A YouTuber called Cowbananas assembled scenes from That Thing You Do to the full title tune that show highlights of the Wonders' rocket journey from a college talent show to recording this song in a church, to going on tour with the Playtone Records "galaxy of stars" in the mid-1960s, as this song shot up the charts. It's such a great infectious tune--keeping it in my head is this week's coping mechanism.  (Previous videos from this Tom Hanks movie here and here.)

The Wonder (Continued)

I decided to repost this so it can headline the weekend. After their triumph at the college talent show, the Wonders get a semi-professional recording of their song, "That Thing You Do" in the Tom Hanks film of that title (see the first clip here.)  A local talent manager promises to get them airplay, and in this scene, they hear it for the first time on the radio.  This is one of the great joyous scenes in movies, and a particular fantasy for those who have dreamed this dream.  I've had the experience of hearing my record on the radio for the first time but I was alone.  Here it's group joy, as unrestrained as it can get in 1960s Main Street Erie, PA.  Liv Tyler's screams make it all work.  I could watch this clip forever.

That Thing They Did

Maybe it was all the publicity about Tom Hanks and the Mr. Rogers movie, but I was reminded of the movie he wrote and directed.  He was a big box office star in 1996 when he was allowed to make That Thing You Do, the bittersweet story of the rise and fall of an American Beatles-like band from Erie, PA in the mid-1960s.

  I'm a sucker for movies about bands, especially if the music is special, and this song--the title tune-- certainly is. Every scene featuring it is joyful.  This clip shows the band discovering the song at a college talent show.  The band, newly minted as the "ONEders" (which everyone mispronounces) lost their drummer when he broke his arm.  That's him opening the scene, getting a program for the show.  They persuaded their percussionist friend to play just this one song for just this one gig.  They rehearsed it as they wrote it, as a mid-tempo ballad.  But when he gets on stage he juices the tempo--you can hear the lead singer trying to keep up with the beat at the beginning of the song.  By the bridge he's gotten into it, helped by the enthusiasm of the dancing audience. They win the top prize and get their first paying gig. It's a moment that changes all their lives.

You'll see Liv Tyler, the dark-haired beauty, who at this point is the lead singer's girlfriend.  You'll also see the blond Charlize Theron doing her makeup, indifferent to her drummer boyfriend's music--she's more interested in him as the heir to a local appliance store.  Tom Hanks cast Theron before her first movie had come out, and she's been a Hanks booster ever since--in fact, she introduced him when he received the DeMille Award at the Golden Globes last week.  

The Beatle and the Boss

The Beatles meets the Boss when Paul McCartney joins Bruce Springsteen on stage at a huge concert in the UK in 2012.  First they combine on "I Saw Her Standing There" and then merge the two biggest versions of "Twist and Shout."  Note the extra ecstasy the Boss brings to this performance, as he finds himself being a Beatle--every young dreamer's dream of his generation, and more.  So another shot of joy to start the new year.

RIP 2019: Ric Ocasek

Every late December I post names of people of significant achievement who died during the past year, especially those who don't always make the major media lists.  This time I thought I'd write a little more about a few figures that spark particular memories; whose deaths were more personal to me, even though I didn't know them personally.

When Ric Ocasek died, I was surprised to see that he was a few years older than me.  It wasn't only that he routinely claimed to be much younger, but that he didn't emerge as a rock star until the late 1970s and especially the 1980s, as the lead singer and chief songwriter of The Cars.  By the time the Cars broke up in 1988, Ocasek was 44.

This revelation adds extra delight, for it might be thought that by that time I was past the age of being engaged by pop music.  And there he was, making it.  In fact I was still listening and still making my own music, though I was admittedly in my last years of attending to the latest releases and hits.  My interest dwindled by the mid-1990s, except for following a few favorite artists, like Sting and Paul Simon, as my listening turned to other sources (African, Native American, the off-center work of Laurie Anderson and Philip Glass, etc.) and types (deepening my listening of jazz, pop music of earlier eras, and classical.)  But in the 80s and early 90s--particularly the first decade of MTV--I still kept up, and one of the bands I liked was the Cars.

Despite his exotic looks, Ocasek turns out to have a background I recognize, as he grew up in Baltimore and Cleveland.  He was apparently in Boston at the same time I was in the early and mid 1970s, though I don't recall noticing any of his bands then.  He might have been reading my music stories and reviews in the Boston Phoenix.  When he did break out with the Cars in the late 70s, I recognized his look from the popular J.Geils Band.  We used to see its members around Cambridge a lot.

I read one story on his death in which the writer--a southern California boy--identified the Cars literally with his teenage car culture.  Boston, where the band assembled, didn't really have a car culture.  What I associate with the Cars in my life is the last era in which the parties I went to would almost always include dancing.  I miss those days.

It was the last great pop era of dance, thanks to Michael Jackson and MTV videos. The Cars had that distinct New Age edge--their first albums had an art band feel-- but basically, their hit songs would have passed muster on American Bandstand of the 1950s, when the criteria was "It has a good beat.  You can dance to it."  In fact, it was hard not to dance to a Cars song.

The Cars string of hits was remarkable, and though they made 5 albums in their heyday, their Greatest Hits (first issued in 1985) contains everything I remember.  Some were songs he'd written years before, but once they broke into prominence, Ocasek rose to the occasion and gleefully constructed new sounds from familiar chord progressions and tunes in the pop/rock canon.   He was also capable of poignant ballads such as "Drive," and hybrids like "Heartbreak City," with its undercurrent of sadness.  Its these backbones that keeps these tunes alive, even as the then-cutting edge use of synthesizers can sound dated.

His lyrics however were unique.  He apparently had a background in poetry, particularly of the Beat era (at the band's Hall of Fame induction he named checked Lawrence Ferlinghetti and the now all but forgotten Richard Brautigan), and let his imagination take him through songs that alternately seemed straightforward and dangerously ambiguous.  He could sum up a chronological age and an era in a line like "you think you're in the movies/everything's so deep."



That line is from the Cars most celebrated hit, "You Might Think," immortalized especially by a groundbreaking video--it won MTV's first annual Video of the Year award-- that featured the model Paulina Porizkova, who Ocasek met shooting the video and subsequently married.

Ocasek made solo albums--I remember having one, which I liked--and produced music for a lot of other artists.  The surviving members of the Cars reunited for a performance at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.  Ocasek died in September 2019.  May he rest in peace.  His music lives on.

Boss and Shout

What could be more natural than the sheer exuberance of "Twist and Shout" being revived by the most exuberant live rock artist of his generation, Bruce Springsteen.  Here is a performance before a massive crowd in Brazil, the final concert in the 1988 Amnesty International benefit tour.  You'll see Sting on stage, and catch a glimpse of Peter Gabriel, both of whom were headliners along with the Boss.  Catch this super enthusiastic, super hip crowd as they anticipate the move from "Twist and Shout" to the older song at its root, "La Bamba."  

Joyful Noise

There can't be many songs from the pop/rock canon as purely joyful as the Beatles' "Twist and Shout."  That's the soundtrack to what also may be the most joyful moment in movies (though in HD you can hear some marching band horns were added.) Shot on the streets of Chicago by John Hughes, in Ferris Bueler's Day Off (1986.)  En-joy.

Don''t Believe Me Just Watch: It's All Dance

This has to be the best edited video of its kind.  Watch these classic movie dancers with funk music and draw your own conclusions.  Besides, it's great fun!  For a better view, go to its YouTube location for its slightly larger default view. (It doesn't look too good any larger.)

Who Knows Where the Time Goes

Fifty years ago I was in Berkeley listening to Abbey Road, Crosby Stills & Nash, and the haunting new album by Judy Collins, who I'd heard performing months before at Red Rocks in Colorado.  This is her 2002 performance of the title song, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?"  Indeed.

The States of Song

Before this 4th of July weekend is done, something on the lighter side.  Margaret asked this question: does every state have a song?  Not an official state song but a memorable popular tune.

It turns out there are a number of websites and articles on the subject.  They tend to stretch the definition to include the names of cities within the state, or just a reference to the state in the song.

There are also some great songs that reference a number of cities and states, from the classic Woody Guthrie "This Land is Your Land" and  Simon & Garfunkel's "America" to Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Back in the USA,"  Martha and the Vandellas "Dancin in the Street"  and a fairly obscure but wonderful Jimmy Durante tune "Any State in the 48 is Great."

It turns out that a lot of songs with state and city names express longings by people no longer there.  Others seem to be more about the sound of the names than the places.  But then, it's music!

Actually the surprise is that there aren't more songs and better songs about a lot of these places.  I imagine there are plenty about local places--blues songs in the South, bluegrass in the mountains, cowboy songs out West--that were never much heard outside their area of origin.

I've got my own list of favorites that includes some titles that other list makers seem to have forgotten, and here it is:

Alabama
Everybody's choice is Lynrd Skynrd's "Sweet Home Alabama," but there's also the song this was an answer to: Neil Young's lacerating tale of the Old South titled simply "Alabama."  These days that doesn't seem so relegated to the past, so that's my choice.

Alaska
In 1960 Johnny Horton had a tuneful hit in "North To Alaska."  Alaska had been a state for only about a year.

Arizona
Arizona gets mentioned here and there, as in Jackson Browne's "Take It Easy,"or Little Feat's "Willin'" or Randy Newman's "Rider in the Rain," (here's a treat--Newman with Ry Cooder and Linda Ronstadt.)  But there doesn't seem to be a well-known song about the state.  Probably Glen Campbell's "By the Time I Get To Phoenix" is the most famous.

Arkansas
"The Arkansas Traveler" is not only the official state song but a well known fiddle tune that inspired many versions, including Pete Seeger's in 1954.  The song title has provided the name for an annual state award and a minor league baseball team.

California
It's a big state that has inspired many songs, but apart from city-specific classics like "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," there are several that reference state myths of two eras: "California Here I Come," first made famous by Al Jolson in 1924, the Beach Boys 1960s classic, "California Girls." and the Mamas and Papas "California Dreamin."  Then there's Neil Young's apocalyptic "After the Goldrush."

Colorado
Lots of songs reference Colorado, especially as a symbol of lost or longed-for paradise, like "Someday Soon," "Chilly Winds" or even John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High."  There are a few just plain "Colorado" songs, including this one by Stephen Stills. Willie Nelson had a song titled "Denver" and that city appears in others.  But none stands out to me.  Maybe "Chilly Winds" because I thought of it as I crossed Colorado for the first time on a train.

Connecticut
There's David Steven's more contemporary "Connecticut Snow." but my choice is Bing Crosby and Judy Garland's 1945"Connecticut" ( "No matter where I chance to be/Connecticut is the place for me.")

Delaware
A popular song of my childhood but otherwise long forgotten, Perry Como's "Delaware" ("What did Della ware boys...") also names several other otherwise overlooked states.  A betters song if more obscure is Fats Waller's unkind "You're a Square From Delaware."



Florida
"Moon Over Miami" dates from 1935, sung in a compelling fashion in our time by Ray Charles. Jimmy Buffet wrote a bunch of good songs about Key West. The best that name checks a number of cities is the Dixie Chicks "Don't Let Me Die in Florida." But given the long relationship of New York and its vacation/retirement colony of Florida, the best Florida song I know is Billy Joel's "Miami 2017" which isn't about Florida at all, but an apocalyptic New York.

Georgia
Though the song is probably more about a girl than a state, nothing beats "Georgia On My Mind" as recorded by Willie Nelson or Ray Charles--or both.

Hawaii
Hawaiian War Chant" was a popular song of the late 1930s and 1940s as performed by Tommy Dorsey and others. Its original melody and lyrics were written in the 1860s by Prince Leleiohoku.  Perhaps not the most culturally sensitive presentation but there you are.

Idaho
Don't know what it says about a state when the most prominent song written out it is the B52's "Private Idaho."  But it's a fun song.

Illinois
Dan Fogelberg isn't much remembered anymore, but in 1974 his most successful album included this great song about nostalgia during that generation gap time, "Illinois."  Better known tunes tend to be about Chicago.

Indiana
The Music Man furnishes another midwestern state's city song, in "Gary Indiana."  But "Back Home in Indiana"  in this 1965 rendition by Louis Armstrong is one of many great jazz versions, not only others by Armstrong but also by pianist Erroll Garner, Sidney Bechet, Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Bryant and many more.  There are instrumental versions in many styles (especially bluegrass), but this official state song does have lyrics, as evidenced in this jazz version by Carline Ray.

Iowa
Among the famous movies set in Iowa are Field of Dreams, State Fair and The Music Man.  It is from the latter that emerges the song "The Iowa Stubborn."

Kansas
 Kansas has the Kansas City that is not the subject of the classic "Kansas City"--that one is likely in Missouri.  George Hamilton IV had a hit with a very nice tune, "Abilene" which is probably the one in Texas, not Kansas.   Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman" was made famous by Glen Campbell's 1968 recording, and it was subsequently recorded by the likes of James Taylor, Johnny Cash and REM. And that definitely is in Kansas.  Above is a late version by Glen with a terrific guitar solo.  Easy to forget what a great guitarist he was.

Kentucky
Since songs about states are usually about nostalgia by those who've left them, Kentucky is best represented by "My Old Kentucky Home" and "Man of Constant Sorrow" about a man who must leave Kentucky where he was born and raised.  Anyway, good excuse for listening again to the "O Brother Where Art Thou" version.

Louisiana
"How about Louisiana?/Part of Americana?"Lots of songs about New Orleans down to individual streets. There's "Bourbon Street Beat" and Sting's "Moon Over Bourbon Street," about a vampire.  I suppose state residents might prefer "Louisiana Saturday Night," a good timer that was a hit for Mel McDaniel in 1981.  However, its tune and cadence bear some resemblance to a big hit song in 1959 about an event in this state's premier city, Johnny Horton's "Battle of New Orleans." 

Maine
Who says country music isn't a New England thing?  "Tombstone Every Mile" is not only a trucker tune about Maine, it was written by a Maine singer, Dick Curless.

Maryland
Vondra Shepard's "Maryland" is a catchy tune, another lost home song.
Nina Simone's reggae beat version of Randy Newman's "Baltimore" is hard to beat, though it's not exactly complimentary to the city.

Massachusetts
The Bee Gees  hit "Massachusetts" is the obvious choice, though the second verse of "Sweet Baby James" gives a better sense of the state.


Michigan
Simon & Garfunkel's "America" references several cities and states but has no more haunting line than "Michigan seems like a dream to me now."  The Red Hot Chili Peppers have the surreal "Especially in Michigan."  Wikipedia has an entire page of songs about Detroit, Motor City and Motown, but none of them memorable--weird for a city with such a huge musical heritage.  But if we're going for a city, my favorite is the Glenn Miller Orchestra classic, "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo." 

Minnesota
Really the theme for this state should be the theme song for "The Mary Tyler Moore" show, set in Minneapolis, but it probably doesn't qualify. There's some reference to Minneapolis in Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue" though I don't think by name.  Lucinda Williams has a dirgy but evocative song called "Minneapolis."  A lot more upbeat is Prince's "Rock & Roll is Alive and It Lives in Minneapolis."  Let's go with that one.

Mississippi
Lots of great songs about the river but hard to find an old one about the state not tainted by endemic racism.  A pretty sympathetic tune however is Bob Dylan's "Mississippi," not one of his better known songs but nevertheless recorded by Sheryl Crow and in a rousing version by the Dixie Chicks.

Missouri
"The Missouri Waltz" exemplifies problems with a lot of state-referencing songs from the minstrel era, including Stephen Foster songs: the lyrics are more likely to make you squirm than swoon, even though this is still the official state song.  Merle Haggard has a country song titled "Missouri." Fortunately there are a lot of great songs about St. Louis, including the "St. Louis Blues" (Bessie Smith & Louis Armstrong,) or "St. Louis Woman" medley by Billie Holiday, and a little tune I'm fond of tucked into a Steeley Dan album--their rendition of a Duke Ellington song, "St. Louis Toodle-oo."

Montana
Not particularly well known but a song that exemplifies the state's history is "Montana Cowgirl" by Emmylou Harris.


Nebraska
Although it's about a serial killer, Bruce Springsteen did title it "Nebraska."  Waylon Jennings did "Omaha."  Moby Grape had a psychedelic "Omaha" in 1968. Jim Harrison wrote a lot about Nebraska.  You'd think somebody could come up with a better song.  So I'll go with a novelty tune full of skewed geography from 1951 by Groucho Marx, "Omaha, Nebraska."

Nevada
There are songs about Reno and Elko but mostly about Las Vegas.  Boosters love Elvis' "Viva Las Vegas" but I'm partial to Sheryl Crow's "Leaving Las Vegas."

New Hampshire
Next door to Vermont and Massachusetts, New Hampshire remains largely unsung.  Perhaps defensively, it has about a half dozen official state songs.
Eddie Mottau's "Old New Hampshire" is a contemporary take.


New Jersey
The state that gets no respect got at least a little in "Jersey Girl," written by Tom Waits and most famously recorded by Bruce Springsteen.

New Mexico
New Mexico's problem is that there are so many songs about Old Mexico.
Waylon Jennings "Taos, New Mexico" has the virtue of more or less being about Taos.  But the whole state gets a plug plus some white people's dour history in Johnny Cash's "New Mexico."

New York
Most of the New York songs are about the City of--although Frank's tune "New York, New York" at least includes the state.  Sinatra also participated in another "New York New York"--a better song, from the musical film On the Town. I like Sting's "Englishman in New York."  But my top choice is Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind."

North Carolina
There are Carolina songs that don't specify North or South, but it's pretty clear that James Taylor meant North in his classic "Carolina On My Mind."

North Dakota
Lyle Lovett has a song titled "North Dakota."  But a novelty song with clever lyrics is Frank Sinatra's "I Got a Girl in North and South Dakota."


Ohio
There are some nice instrumental tunes with Ohio in the title but the state is always going to be remembered for Neil Young's song about Kent State titled "Ohio", recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young shortly afterwards.

Oklahoma
There are a number of songs about Tulsa (including Neil Young's haunting "The Last Trip to Tulsa") and the Dust Bowl, including "My Oklahoma Home (Blowed Away)," recorded by Pete Seeger and most recently Bruce Springsteen.
But of course, the one that sticks is the title song of the musical "Oklahoma."

Oregon
The Oregon Trail is deep in the American legend. Woody Guthrie wrote a song with that title, and there was a song called "Westward Ho, the Wagons" with the words "Westward roll the wagons, always westward roll...for Oregon's our goal."  Vaughan Monroe's 1957 recording was popular in my childhood.  It was also the title of a 1956 movie starring Fess Parker, Davy Crockett himself.

Pennsylvania
Most of the songs about Pennsylvania aren't about the state; they're about the railroad, the Pennsylvania railroad station in New York, and the Hotel Pennsylvania, also in New York, with its own phone exchange, which was the subject of a Glenn Miller song "Pennsylvania 6-500."  There are some songs about Philadelphia (like Bruce Springsteen's "The Streets of Philadelphia") and Pittsburgh, plus Billy Joel's "Allentown."  Apart from some really awful official state songs, there's only "The Pennsylvania Polka," done with some harmony and humor by the Andrew Sisters.  But I'll stretch a point to choose Patti Page singing "Allegheny Moon," since the river runs through Pittsburgh.


Rhode Island
A song from 1960 names a lot of other states and cities famous for something, but it turns out that "Rhode Island is Famous For You."  Here's the original Blossom Dearie recording.  Do pencils really come from Pennsylvania?

South Carolina
This time we'll give the unspecified Carolina to the South for "Carolina Moon," in many different versions--here's a nice upbeat one by Dean Martin.

South Dakota
Though the Bee Gees recorded a nice tune called "South Dakota Morning," it's pretty obscure.  But then, so is South Dakota.

Tennessee
With music centered in Nashville and Memphis, there are a lot of songs about both. (I'm partial to the feeling in Paul Simon's "Graceland.") I'm tempted as well by that other Glenn Miller favorite, "Chatanooga Choo Choo," with all those other place names. But for the whole state, it's got to be the "The Tennessee Waltz." Sam Cooke has an upbeat version, though  I remember it sung by Patti Page.   

Texas
Lots of western songs about Texas and various cities. "The Streets of Laredo" for example.  But "Deep in the Heart of Texas" is deeply entrenched.  As is "The Yellow Rose of Texas" which seems to be the same song.  But I'll use the former to link to the Gene Autry version, who made the best cowboy record, "Back in the Saddle Again."

Utah
Marty Robbins has a country/cowboy song about his friend named Utah, which is stretching things. But there are a bunch about Salt Lake City, the strangest of which might be the bluesy "I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City"--performed here by Johnny Mercer, who helpfully includes some geography book statistics about the city in 1929.


Vermont
Thank your lucky stars for the moon, or a lot of states would be songless.  "Moonlight in Vermont" is a classic, given (for example) the full Ella and Louis Armstrong treatment.

Virginia
"Carry Me Home To Old Virginny," in its early form goes back to the early 19th century, and was a Confederate favorite.  But there's another version, dating from the late 19th or early 20th century, written by an African American popular songwriter, James A. Bland.  That's the version that Ray Charles does here.

Washington
The most famous song to come out of Washington was, of course, "Louie, Louie." Given its indie music tradition, there are lots of songs about Seattle, but in most cases, what's sung in Seattle tends to stay in Seattle. Brit Mark Knopfler's "Seattle" is nicely evocative, and in this video is paired with shots of the city.

West Virginia
John Denver has the definitive West Virginia song with "Country Roads (Take Me Home)", probably his best song.

Wisconsin
The first song that probably comes to mind is "On Wisconsin," and it may be the only one. It's one of the oldest college fight songs, and a version was recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra  There is also a hidden classic: "My Cousin in Milwaukee" was written by George and Ira Gershwin.  Here's the Ella Fitzgerald version.

Wyoming
"And what about Wyoming, with the cattle freely roaming?" Sticking to the "W"s, John Denver did the ballad "Song of Wyoming." Not as good as his West Virginia song, but there's not much competition for Wyoming.

You Make My Dreams

The 80s.  Cable TV was the new big thing and with it, MTV: all music videos all the time.  One of the first acts to make MTV their home was Hall & Oates, and their first big hit of the MTV era was this one, "You Make My Dreams Come True."  The video is an early no-frills effort, but it pops with high spirits and musical energy, and suggests the best of being young in the 80s.  Daryl Hall's t-shirt with a suit coat would become a hot style with Don Johnson and  Miami Vice, and it has never quite left since.  The video also has an improvised, antic, even goofy quality that would soon be replaced by ever-elaborate mini-movies and formalized dance moves in MTV's heyday decade.

I liked this song a lot at the time, as I did their earlier "Rich Girl" (think I had one or two in mind when I heard it) and their  remake of the Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," which got to be unusual in that John Oates had the lead vocal.  But those were about all of their songs I remember, so I was surprised to read that Hall & Oates sold the most records of any duo in the rock era.  That would include the Everly Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel (before Paul Simon went solo.)  Whatever.  They were valid musicians, and Hall in particular continues in different venues to this day.  Enjoy this one--a bit of infectious fun from a weird decade.

When You're Only Lonely

John David Souther was a jazz man, playing sax and drums in Texas.  But he had his ears open to other Texans, especially the sounds of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison.  When he wound up in Los Angeles, he literally picked up a guitar left at his house by a musician friend, and found a new musical expression.  He began hanging out at the fabled Troubadour club (and the Sad Cafe next door) and made some interesting friends among young and aspiring musicians, including Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Don Henley and the other eventual members of the Eagles, and especially Linda Ronstadt, with whom he had a romantic and musical relationship.  Together they all created the dominant LA sound of the 70s.

Souther became a songwriter for them all, sometimes singing on their records.  He made his own albums for a smaller public, which included me.  I practically memorized his Black Rose album in particular.  But it wasn't until 1979 that he had a breakout hit with this song, "You're Only Lonely."  With obvious and admitted inspiration from Roy Orbison, there's some Buddy Holly in it as well, especially live.  Souther's voice is different from Orbison's but also remarkable, and he seems to sing with such ease.

This is about the only piece of video of Souther singing this song I could find--a live performance outdoors at the Farm Aid concert in 1986.  There's some sound problems, a few microphone squeals, but the song gains in performance what it loses in sound quality.  (There's another YouTube video of the same performance that replaces the audio with the 1979 studio recording, but it doesn't really work.  The tempo is slightly different, and it comes off a bit lifeless.)  This to me is a fitting companion to the song that inspired it, Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely."

The Voice

"Only the Lonely" is the quintessential Roy Orbison.  Reportedly the first song and recording to be made with Orbison's particular (and spectacular) voice in mind in 1960, it became the template for the Orbison sound.  His subsequent parade of classic hits took him into the late 60s, but his career went into a long eclipse in the 1970s.

 However, there was a second act in this American life.  His songs appeared in a few movies in the early 1980s, and he was rediscovered through his classic hits.  And suddenly there he still was--fully able to perform those hits, with that same unique and awesome voice.

In 1988 he was working on a new album produced by Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra.  Lynne was also producing George Harrison.  In the early 60s, Orbison and the Beatles had toured together in England.  Harrison got together an ad hoc band to write and record a song for the B-side of a single, and Orbison agreed to join up.  The band became the Traveling Wilburys, the resulting album became a smash, and Orbison was making new hits again.  His Lynne-produced solo album came out soon after, which included his first top ten hit in decades.  He was reportedly having a great time, agog at both the respect younger musicians and big stars were giving him, and the concert crowds.  He was in the midst of this ecstatic period when he died of heart failure in December 1988.

Just before the Traveling Wilburys happened, a concert by and for Orbison fans called "The Black and White Night" was created, and is the source of this video.  It consisted of Orbison singing his songs, with instrumental and vocal backing by some of the biggest stars of the day. Fellow Texan J.D. Souther did the vocal arrangements.  Among the backup singers are Souther, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and K.D. Laing.  Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen are among the instrumentalists.

What I especially like about this cut is the responsiveness of the crowd to Orbison's voice.  He seems to respond to them in turn by going higher on some of the high notes than he did on the original record.  With the tasty string section, it's a goosebumper all the way.

In my opinion it's about time for a remix of this concert--even on the CD, the background vocals are too faint.  Otherwise it's a great concert, and this is one of several songs available on YouTube.

Never Die Young

This video clip from the Tonight Show starts with the best live version I could find of James Taylor doing his song "Never Die Young" which I post on the occasion of my 72nd birthday.  The 1988 clip continues with an interview in which JT is winsome but his prepared comic lines fall flat.  Still it's a charming interview. Sail on, sail on.