Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 12-12-23

Is technology ruining music? I’ll answer that with another question: If we had GPS in the 1960s, would we have gotten “Do You Know The Way To San José?” If you request Alexa to play “Do You Know The Way To San José” by merely stating its title, would Alexa play it or ramble on about making a left here and bearing right there, which would make for a real crap song? When presented with “Do You Know The Way To San José” by its writers, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Dionne Warwick was not taken by it. “What is this whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa crap?” she asked. I’m paraphrasing. She eventually came around, for decades later she said that winning the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her recording of that song was the highlight of her career. 

Dionne Warwick was born on this date in 1940. Lots of songs performed by her are included on today’s playlist.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-1-23

In 1993, humor columnist Dave Barry surveyed his readers to find the worst song. The clear winner for Worst Overall Song and Worst Lyrics was “Mac Arthur Park.” Culture critic Joe Queenan disagreed with the results “because ‘Ebony and Ivory’ exists, as do ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,’ ‘Baby, I’m-a Want You,’ ‘Feelings,’ ‘Benny and the Jets,’ ‘Witchy Woman’ and ‘Sussudio,’” adding “On a planet where somebody thought it would be a good idea to write ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,’ the best ‘MacArthur Park’ is ever going to earn in the sucky-song sweepstakes is a tie.”

The late Richard Harris was born on this date in 1930. Celebrate his birthday with a piece of soggy cake and by listening to today’s playlist, which includes the song many hate.

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The Ultimate Christmas Playlist

Today is the day after Thanksgiving here in the United States of America. You’re officially allowed to start listening to holiday music now. To get you started, I compiled a playlist of what I consider to be 100 of the best Christmas songs. Okay, 98 songs, a stand-up routine and a skit. It’s a mix of standards, versions of standards with which you may not be familiar, and obscure but delightful tunes.

Enjoy!

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Make The Yuletide Gay

Today is December 24. It’s the date when people around the world celebrate Ricky Martin’s birthday. What’s the first thing you think of when someone says Ricky Martin? Gay? I thought so. Hold that thought.

Christmas Eve is tonight. Many people around the world celebrate that as well, possibly almost as many people as the number that celebrate Ricky Martin’s birthday. He’s turning 43, by the way.

Anyhoosle, I decided to combine the two celebrations. Tunes du Jour hereby presents the gayest Christmas playlist ever. Fifty songs that will bring you cheer and fabulousity and get you arrested if you listen to them in Russia.

Have a festive day!

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