Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 11-25-23

Born out of lyrics Percy Sledge improvised during a performance after his girlfriend left him, “When A Man Loves A Woman” went on to become a true classic. Sledge let his keyboard and bass players have the full writing credit. On Sledge’s first recording of the song, the horns were out of tune, so Sledge did another take. His record company accidentally released the first version as a single. I don’t think they regret that error.  

The late Percy Sledge was born on this date in 1940. His best-known song kicks off today’s playlist.

Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook

Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter

Follow me on Instagram

Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-9-23

The first session of the recording of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” took place on November 22, 1967. A second session took place on December 7 of that year. The distinctive whistling at the end of the record was improvised by Otis Redding during recording, serving as a placeholder for a planned third verse that he never got to write before his passing in a plane crash on December 10.

The late great Otis Redding was born on this date in 1941. Lotsa Otis on today’s playlist.

Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook

Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter

Follow me on Instagram

Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-12-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the October 12 birthdays of The Temptations’ Melvin Franklin, The Damned’s Dave Vanian, Sam & Dave’s Sam Moore, The Smithereens’ Pat DiNizio, Jane Siberry, Luciano Pavarotti, and New Boyz’ Dominic “Legacy” Thomas; and the October 13 birthdays of Simon & Garfunkel’s Paul Simon, Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke, Chicago’s Robert Lamm, Anthrax’s Joey Belladonna, BTS’s Jimin, John Ford Coley, Lumidee, Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar, Dorothy Moore, Cherrelle, The Joy Formidable’s Rhiannon “Ritzy” Bryan, Marie Osmond, Ashanti, New Boyz’ Ben J, and Joe Dolce.

Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook

Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter

Follow me on Instagram

A Sam Cooke Playlist

There’s the voice. In its 2008 survey of the greatest singers of all time, Rolling Stone placed Sam Cooke (born January 22, 1931) at number four.

There are the songs. “You Send Me,” “Wonderful World,” “Cupid,” and many others are classics, known to generations. Cooke not only sang these songs; he composed them as well. I think that when you listen to the Sam Cooke playlist below, you’ll recognize a lot more songs of his than you realized.

There’s the business acumen. Cooke was among the first African American entrepreneurs in the music business, starting his own record label, SAR Records, in 1961. Artists signed to the label included Bobby Womack, Johnnie Taylor and Mel Carter. He founded a song publishing imprint. He created a management firm.

There’s the civil rights activist. Cooke took an active role in the civil rights movement. Inspired by Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Cooke composed and recorded “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Released as a single in December 1964, less than two weeks after he was shot to death at age 33, the recording is considered by many to be his finest work and a classic protest song.

There’s the legacy. Sam Cooke was among the charter inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’s actually in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – once as a solo artist and once as a member of the gospel group The Soul Stirrers. He’s in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner. He has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. In addition to his ranking on their Greatest Singers survey, Rolling Stone also placed him at number sixteen on their Greatest Artists of All Time list.

Today’s playlist pays tribute to the great Sam Cooke, with two dozen of his best recordings plus covers of a few of his hits.

Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook.

Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter.

Follow me on Instagram.

Throwback Thursday: 1966

This week I’m reviving a feature I used to do on Tunes du Jour – Throwback Thursday, with each week focusing on a different year in the rock and roll era. This week we’ll listen to the music of 1966. Some notable events:

  • The Mamas & the Papas had their first hit with “California Dreamin’.” Perhaps you’ve heard it.
  • Simon & Garfunkel had their first top 40/top 10/#1 single in the US with “The Sounds of Silence.” The duo had actually broken up already and were unaware that their record label released a version of their 1964 acoustic recording on which electric guitar and drums were added.
  • Bob Dylan released his game-changing album Blonde On Blonde, a staple of greatest albums of all-time lists since.
  • ? and the Mysterians released their debut single, “96 Tears.” Perhaps you’ve heard it.
  • Producer Phil Spector released what he considered to be his best work – Ike & Tina’s Turner “River Deep – Mountain High.” In actuality, Ike had nothing to do with the recording. Though a hit in the UK and several European countries, the single stalled at #88 in the US, leading Spector to retire for two years and produce far less frequently following that.
  • Percy Sledge released his debut single, “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Perhaps you’ve heard it.
  • The Beatles performed their last official concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
  • The Supremes scored two more #1 pop singles plus another two that went top ten. During their career the group would have 12 #1s and 20 top tens. Many more hits followed for the trio’s usual lead singer, Diana Ross. Perhaps you’ve heard of her.
  • New York City’s WOR became the first FM radio station in the US with a rock format.
  • “Good Vibrations.” Where do I start?

Here are thirty of the year’s best:

Follow Tunes du Jour on Facebook.

Follow Tunes du Jour on Twitter.

Follow me on Instagram.