The Tymes’ lead vocalist, the late George Williams, was born on this date in 1935. Two of the group’s hits are on today’s playlist.
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Tunes Du Jour Presents Covers of Show Tunes
The theme of today’s playlist is cover versions of songs that originated in stage musicals. Here are the songs listed with the shows that introduced them:
- Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin – From The Threepenny Opera (1928)
- Till There Was You by The Beatles – From The Music Man (1957)
- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by The Platters – From Roberta (1933)
- Little Girl Blue by Nina Simone – From Jumbo (1935)
- You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry & The Pacemakers – From Carousel (1945)
- I Am What I Am by Gloria Gaynor – From La Cage aux Folles (1983)
- On The Street Where You Live by Vic Damone – From My Fair Lady (1956)
- Everything’s Coming Up Roses by The Replacements – From Gypsy (1959)
- Send In The Clowns by Judy Collins – From A Little Night Music (1973)
- I Don’t Know How to Love Him by Helen Reddy – From Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)
- Hair by The Cowsills – From Hair (1967)
- Put On A Happy Face by Diana Ross & The Supremes – From Bye Bye Birdie (1960)
- Losing My Mind by Liza Minnelli – From Follies (1971)
- Tomorrow by Grace Jones – From Annie (1977)
- My Favorite Things by John Coltrane – From The Sound of Music (1959)
- Well Did You Evah? by Debbie Harry & Iggy Pop – From DuBarry Was a Lady (1939)
- The Man I Love by Kate Bush – From Lady, Be Good! (1924)
- If My Friends Could See Me Now by Linda Clifford – From Sweet Charity (1966)
- Summertime by Big Brother & The Holding Company – From Porgy and Bess (1935)
- Cabaret by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – From Cabaret (1966)
- I Get A Kick Out Of You by Frank Sinatra – From Anything Goes (1934)
- Don’t Cry For Me Argentina by Festival – From Evita (1978)
- Somewhere by Pet Shop Boys – From West Side Story (1957)
- The Lady is a Tramp by Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – From Babes in Arms (1937)
- I’ll Never Fall In Love Again by Dionne Warwick – From Promises, Promises (1968)
- I Love Paris by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – From Can-Can (1953)
- Night + Day by U2 – From Gay Divorce (1932)
- There Are Worse Things I Could Do by Alison Moyet – From Grease (1971)
- Corner of the Sky by The Jackson 5 – From Pippin (1972)
- I Enjoy Being a Girl by Phranc – From Flower Drum Song (1958)
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Throwback Thursday: 1959
The late Wilbert Harrison was born on this date in 1929. His best-known hit is “Kansas City.” That and other songs from 1959 make up today’s playlist.
Throwback Thursday: 1960
Look at some of the names who had hits in 1960: Elvis Presley, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly, Ella Fitzgerald, The Everly Bros., Roy Orbison, Fats Domino, The Drifters, Ike & Tina Turner, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Bobby Darin, Chubby Checker, Brenda Lee. It’s like the radio only played superstars. Here are 30 of that year’s best:
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Records of the Year
The Grammy Awards are being presented tonight. Woo. It’s billed as “music’s biggest night,” just as May 7 through May 16 is billed as “the biggest week in American birding,” if only because ten days is a lot for one week. Birders. Am I right, people? Performers at this year’s Grammys include Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak doing their new song, because what better way to celebrate the music of 2020 than with a single that was released last week? Performers I’m looking forward to include Miranda Lambert, Cardi B, HAIM, Megan Thee Stallion, Brittany Howard, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish, whose “Everything I Wanted” is up for Record of the Year. That’s my favorite of the nominees, though I think the award will go to Beyoncé for “Black Parade,” and I have no problem with that. However, if the award goes to that record I never heard of until I started typing this sentence, sneakers will be thrown at my television (though that record may be good for all I know). For Album of the Year my vote goes to Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters, as it was handily the best album of 2020. It probably won’t win, seeing as it wasn’t nominated. What was nominated over Apple’s album? That Coldplay album you forgot about and the Jacob Collier album you never heard of until you started reading this sentence (though that album may be good for all you know). Of the albums nominated, I’d pick HAIM’s. It’s very good. Not Fetch The Bolt Cutters good, but very good nonetheless. If HAIM win I hope they hand their award to Fiona Apple live on the telecast, which would be super impressive, seeing as they won’t be in the same room. I’m sure tonight’s show will include a tribute to dead people done by living people who are no match for said dead people. I’d rather want a montage of clips of the dead people performing when they were living people. <Fill in the blank> screaming is not representative of what made Aretha Franklin amazing. No disrespect to <fill in the blank>, but there’s more to being the Queen of Soul than having a mic and ovaries.
It’s easy to shit on the Grammys, as they are so shittable, but to be fair, not every Record of the Year is as terrible as 1988’s recipient, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Here are thirty of the better winners:
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (5-14-20)
Inspired by the May 14 birthdays of Talking Heads‘ David Byrne, The Coasters/Cadets’ Dub Jones, The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Raphael Saadiq, Bobby Darin, Cream’s Jack Bruce, The Cult’s Ian Astbury, Shanice and Tom Cochrane.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (4-5-20)
Inspired by the April 5 birthdays of ABBA’s Agnetha Faltskog, Pharrell Williams, The Hollies’ Allan Clarke, The Platters’ Tony Williams, Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J, Wall of Voodoo’s Stan Ridgway, Paula Cole, Crispian St. Peters and Bette Davis.