Music Project: Monday Monday
Songs with Monday in the title.
Well of course there is the Mamas and the Papas Monday Monday but you know its just not one of my favourite songs. If I had to pick one of theirs I would have to go with Cass Elliott’s Dream a Little Dream of Me. What I do like about the former is that it takes you back to kids just singing their hearts out. I remember inadvertently seeing on television the 3 Dog Night singing Eli’s Coming and thinking “my god, these guys can sing” but with the looks obsessed industry these days these guys would have ended up with front men singing their tunes. But Cass’ Dream is so pure even though my link takes you to a Smothers Brothers show version. This song was an odd top hit for the time -so traditional for the time. (And that bookmarks nicely with my other “Dream” song, Linda Ronstadt’s version of When I Grow Too Old to Dream. This is not perhaps the most reverent version being her performance on the Muppet Show and featuring Kermit in a duet but it does illustrate the underlying poignancy of the Muppet existence.) But I went to someone I ran across a while ago instead. This performer (Ysabel) is a Idol reject (and as you know I hate that show, and her rejection is proof of its poverty) and has now posted over 100 tunes on youtube. She sings full face to the camera and though I would never buy a cd of her, her performance is affecting. I am a total fan of this woman.
And I do have to post I Don’t like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats. One of the few occasions where I think the hit was the career high point. And I don’t know if you remember but this song gained some notoriety when the later school shootings started. And I am always a sucker for a good piano part.
Just two more to post here: kudos to Nat for having the courage to mention The Carpenters‘ Rainy Days and Mondays. (And does that harmonica player look like a cross between George Carlin and David Morse?) I have to admit she does have kind of a sweet voice but that dress and hair style. Hot or what!!!??
And I was going to try to stick to pop but I do love the blues and Stormy Monday c’mon? And Stevie Ray with Albert King?
And that brings to mind the bluesy Mike Figges film Stormy Monday (early appearance by the great Sean Bean, another actor who has never been given the parts he deserved but for Sharpe made you think he should have been Bond rather than a minor villain) with Tommy Lee Jones and Melanie Griffith.
You’re so freakin comprehensive. (_!_)
Linda Ronstadt sure has a pretty voice.
Comment by amuirin — August 15, 2007 @ 1:22 am
Holy crap! That is one sweet version of Stormy Monday! I’ve gotta say that it’s one of my favorite blues songs ever. And it’s great to see the Boomtown Rats video again. I forgot how bloody creepy those schoolkids are!
Comment by Nat — August 15, 2007 @ 7:58 am
Always had a soft spot for Linda. A lot of her material has not aged well, and she has produced a few dogs but when she is on she is on. A lot of Elvis Costello fans were upset at her doing his songs but I thought the versions were great, Also very happy with her Orbison cover Blue Bayou, Hurt So Bad….there’s plenty.
Comment by aos — August 15, 2007 @ 8:55 am
The Carpenters music is some of the first popular music I was ever exposed to because my parents used to play their records quite often when I was little. I still listen to them today. I never get tired of hearing Karen Carpenter’s voice. I am a longtime Linda Ronstadt fan as well. I just went to her show in Philadelphia last evening. Her voice is not what is was back in the day but she can still hit those notes.
Comment by Mark — August 16, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
Tuesday, Tuesday?
Comment by amuirin — August 16, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
I like the Boomtown Rats. The urban legend is that Bob Geldof, then a journalist, wrote a bad review of an album, the band responded by saying, “If you can do better….”
He did.
Comment by stevo — August 16, 2007 @ 5:56 pm