Queens of Vinyl is a series where we explore the sounds, styles, and impact of some of the most incredible and influential female artists ever pressed to vinyl. This week: Julie London She is seductive and sultry. She's smoky and mysterious. She's gorgeous and talented. These are only a few of the phrases that describe the amazing Julie London. An accomplished actress and legendary torch singer, London toured all over the world during her 35-year career, and solidified her place in our Queens of Vinyl series. Born [...]
corybantic (kawr-uh-ban-tik) -adjective 1. frenzied 2. agitated 3. unrestrained -synonmyms beside oneself, carried away, crazy, delighted, ecstatic, enthused, frantic, frenetic, frenzied, furious, hysterical, intoxicated, mad, overwrought, rapturous, thrilled, transported, wild TRACKS Spooks - Crazy [album:Faster Than You Know... 2003] F ine Young Cannibals She Drives Me Crazy [album:The Raw & The [...]
The story of Blue Moon — its transition from a movie song that was rewritten several times to jazz song and then pop hit — was told in The Originals Vol. 40 , which included the first version, The Bad In Every Man, sung on film by Shirley Ross. This collection of 38 versions covers all manner of approaches. There are the early jazz interpretations, most of them with vocals (though Gene Krupa, Django Reinhardt and in 1944 the Cozy Cole Allstars do it instrumentally). Then it became something of a torchsong number in the hands of [...]
The story goes that Jim Morrison hated Light My Fire, The Doors' great breakthrough hit. Recorded in August 1966, it was released in January 1967, at the dawn of the so-called Summer of Love. If it was true that Morrison disliked it, I'd sort of concur with his judgment. In fact, he didn't hate the song, but resented that he had only a small part in writing his band's signature hit (most of it was written by guitarist Robby Krieger). I don't like The Doors much, and have more respect than affection for their version of Light My [...]
In 2134 B.C.E., the earliest known record of a full moon lunar eclipse was recorded in China. They explained what they witnessed as a sky dragon ingesting the moon. Blood would fill the moon and splutter all over, and the people would beat mirrors and drums and shoot arrows into the night sky to make the beast regurgitate and return the moon to its place. Tonight: a full moon lunar eclipse on the winter solstice begins around 2:30 am my time. Under the domed sky of the longest night of the year, we will clap our hands, [...]
Working with Kylie is like working with every artist I have ever wanted to and continues to be as exciting and fresh every time we do something new. As promised, here comes part two of my interview with the sensational producer, remixer, songwriter and musical director (amongst other titles!), Mr. Steve Anderson . Go ahead and read on to learn about Anderson's unreleased electro-ballad with Britney ("Grow") and much, much more Kylie gossip (Unreleased tracks! Scrapped setlist ideas!), as well as Anderson's thoughts on remixing, the music [...]
Mad Men enthusiasts looking for a musical equivalent of Betty Draper need look no further than Julie London. She's probably best known for lounge-tastic numbers like the mid-50s "Cry Me A River", but she'd become decidedly slinkier by the time she recorded her 29th- and final - album for Liberty Records in 1969. "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" is one of my favourite Julie tracks. As a kid, I'd always loved the original bubblegum version by The Ohio Express (the one 8-track (!) tape my grandma had that wasn't Barry Manilow), but Julie's version, with her [...]
On continue donc de passer en revue ces morceaux qui font l'apologie de la tristesse... J'espère que le premier volume vous aura plus car la deuxième partie vous mettra l'eau à la bouche/vous fera monter les larmes aux yeux (tout dépend du point de vue). On attaque avec les vingt morceaux suivants et ce sont cette fois des artistes allant de la lettre D jusqu'à M qui sont à l'honneur. It's time to cry now, dear mascottes: > Damien Rice - Cold Water > Death Cab [...]
Linda Ronstadt: Chapter 23.
Scott Walker, television appearance The Walker Brothers The Girl I Lost In The Rain Margo Guryan Love Songs Julie London February Brings The Rain Richard Hawley Last Orders
"My heart was all dressed up to go dancing..." Ah, Julie. If there's a better opening line to a song about having the blues, then I don't think I've heard it. I like the duality of this pair of songs; they're like binary opposites female/male, slick/rough, knowing/desperate. I can't help but imagine Julie singing this with a wry smile on her lips - and you don't get that with Tom, do you? Both utterly, utterly melancholy - so just the ticket. Listen: Julie London - [...]
Download: Crawfish (Pilooski Edit) - Elvis Presley (1958/2008) (Right Click, Open in new window) (Alt Link) * Forget the usual hip-swiggin', soul-singin' gospel antics of Elvis Presley and feast your ears on this amazing gem from the 1958 film " King Creole ", edited by Sex 4 Ears favourite, Pilooski . It's like nothing you've heard before, featuring female vocals by jazz vocalist Kitty White , and is a progressive disco noir masterpiece. It's also featured on Dirty [...]
For the past week or so I have been playing catch up on the critically adored series Mad Men. In case you were unaware the show returns to AMC on Sunday night and I desperately want to finish season 2 by the time that rolls around. Since that's the case I'm not throwing descriptions on to the songs today, most should speak for themselves, and most are pretty awesome. For fans of the show I hope these songs bring you back to your favorite episodes, for non-fans I hope you like listening anyway. As always feel free to drop in [...]
How someone is remembered - as an actress who also sang or a singer who also acted - is a question that has occurred to me more than once. It's not always easy to answer when considering the many ladies who have dipped a toe in both ponds. And just to muddy that pond water a little more, let's say that to qualify as an actress requires acting fame, rather than skill — otherwise we'd be here all day. Just to be fair, we'll also judge singers by their performing success rather than by the quality of their voices. [...]
As a madman shakes a dead geranium. I seem to have done a fair bit of dead geranium shaking recently (literally and figuratively) and my northern exploits have meant that I've seen a fair whack of midnight sun. So, let's have some songs about the witching hour to celebrate the nights drawing in. Listen: Porter Wagoner - Midnight (this is an absolute corker) Listen: Rhonda Vincent - Midnight Angel Listen: Buddy Holly - Midnight Shift (oddly, this seems a [...]
No, not the Justin Timberlake song - the 1950's blues ballad, made famous by Julie London and later recorded by Ella Fitzgerald among others. Continuing on the tidal wave that is the Susan Boyle phenomenon, a song has been unearthed that she recorded in 1999 for a charity CD - of which apparently only 1000 copies were made. Talk about a hot item to have right about now. The story of Susan's version of "Cry Me A River" was broken as an exclusive by The Daily Record . [...]
My teenage obsession with REM means I've always had a soft spot for their home state and thanks to my 'American cousin' John Barner living there I've been able to visit a few times. I vividly remember my first trip to Georgia , traveling along the kudzu lined highway in a Greyhound bus, listening to a tape of Murmur on my Walkman and being reminded of all the weird Southern images conjured up in those early REM songs. Georgia has inspired hundreds of [...]
My teenage obsession with REM means I've always had a soft spot for their home state and thanks to my 'American cousin' John Barner living there I've been able to visit a few times. I vividly remember my first trip to Georgia , traveling along the kudzu lined highway in a Greyhound bus, listening to a tape of Murmur on my Walkman and being reminded of all the weird Southern images conjured up in those early REM songs. Georgia has inspired hundreds of [...]
a foggy day in London town, it had me low, it had me down I viewed the morning, with much alarm, the British Museum has lost its charm how long I wondered can this thing last, the age of miracles hadn't [...]
The Vinyl District
ONE WORD TRIGGERS
Any Major Dude With Half A Heart
Seamstress for the Band
MuuMuse
Hell's Belles
WATM Magazine
Music @ Blogcritics.org
Goldkicks
lonesome music
Sex 4 Ears
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
Keep the Coffee Coming
Geezer Music Club
Headbangers 'n Mash
Carnival Saloon
ToGroundControl
I’ll Just Leave This Here #161
Antony and the Johnsons - "Rise"
Video: Dreamers - "Appaloosa"
