Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-11-23

Richard Ashcroft’s original plan was to release the songs he wrote for Urban Hymns under his own name, but he got cold feet. Shortly after the album’s release The Verve broke up, briefly reforming in 2007.

The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft was born on this date in 1971. The singles issued from his band’s Urban Hymns are included on today’s playlist.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-11-22

Today’s playlist remembers the events of September 11, 2011; celebrates the September 11 birthdays of The Kingsmen’s Jack Ely, The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, Moby, Metronomy’s Joseph Mount, Ludacris, Ted Leo, The Monotones’ Charles Patrick, and Styx’s Tommy Shaw; and the September 12 birthdays of George Jones, Barry White, Ben Folds, America’s Gerry Beckley, The Foundations’ Colin Young, BTS’s RM, Maria Muldaur, Judy Clay, Mount Kimbie’s Dom Maker, The Gentrys’ Larry Raspberry, The Free Design’s Chris Dedrick, Jennifer Hudson, and Kelsea Ballerini.

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Throwback Thursday: 1997

“I wanna really really really wanna zig-a-zig-ah”

“Beep beep, who got the keys to the Jeep? Vroom”

“Pissin’ the night away”

“Joni Mitchell never lies”

“Poppa been smooth since days of Underoos”

“Love me, love me / Pretend that you love me”

“What I look like? Patti LaBelle or somebody?”

“Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky”

“Mmm bop ba duba dop / Ba du bop ba duba dop / Ba du bop ba duba dop / Ba du yeah yeah”

“Woo-hoo!”

So many memorable lyrics emerged in 1997. Hear the ones above and then some below:

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Throwback Thursday – 1997

Randy Badazz Alpert received many requests to license “Rise,” a song he co-wrote that became a #1 hit for his uncle Herb in 1979, as a sample in hip hop tracks. He said no to Ice Cube, Vanilla Ice, Eazy-E, and the others who requested permission. However, when he received a cassette from the producer then known as Puff Daddy of a new song utilizing the sample, he consented. He loved the new tune and felt it could make his song go to #1 again.

He was right. The new recording was “Hypnotize” and it was performed by the Notorious B.I.G. “Hypnotize” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1997, less than two months after the rapper was killed in Los Angeles.

This week’s Throwback Thursday playlist spotlights the best of 1997, kicking off with The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,” which uses a sample from a songwriter whose middle name really is Badazz.


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The History of Glenn’s Ten

2013 marked the thirty-second anniversary of Glenn’s Ten. Every Saturday for the past thirty-two years I’ve tracked my ten favorite songs of that week. The practice started in high school when my friend Lydia, who preferred to be called Candice, gave me a diary for Chanukah, which I prefer to spell Hanukkah. I never kept a diary before, as my life was lonely and depressing and I didn’t want someone to find my diary years later and read “July 15. The kids at summer camp threw rocks at me today. I thought that would have stopped by the time I became a counselor.” I was optimistic things would improve – I prefer to see the glass as 1/8 full as opposed to 7/8 empty.

The diary Lydia/Candice gave me had a drawing of Paddington Bear on the cover. I didn’t know who Paddington Bear was or why he was famous, making him the 1981 version of a Kardashian. Being a packrat (euphemism for hoarder) I couldn’t throw away this gift from Lydia/Candice. I gave diary keeping a try.

“January 1. I woke up ‘round 12. Had bacon for lunch. Clam chowder for dinner.” I know how to ring in a new year! [NOTE TO SELF – Don’t share diary entries with anyone.]

My entry for January 6 reads “Instead of antiperspirant, I accidentally sprayed shaving cream in my armpit.” [REMINDER TO SELF – Don’t share diary entries with anyone.]

Four days after that burst of genius, Glenn’s Ten debuted. In my diary I wrote “My ten fave songs: 1. “The Tide Is High” – Blondie, 2. “9 to 5” – Dolly Parton, 3. “Time is Time” – Andy Gibb, 4. “Seven Bridges Road” – Eagles, 5. “I Love a Rainy Night” – Eddie Rabbitt, 6. “Giving It Up for Your Love” – Delbert McClinton, 7. “I Made It Through the Rain” – Barry Manilow, 8. “Celebration” – Kool & the Gang, 9. “Guilty” – Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb, 10. “Suddenly” – Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard. I rocked hard in my youth! (If any of these titles are unfamiliar to you, stay tuned. At some point I’ll feature them on this blog.)

I’ve kept track of my top ten every Saturday since. When Paddington ran out of Saturdays I bought a Ziggy notebook. Ziggy’s comic misfortunes made me feel good about my life. While both he and I were lonely, at least I had hair. My cover subjects have since improved – I’m presently tracking my lists in a John Lennon notebook. It can be argued that my song choices have also improved (no disrespect to Barry Manilow, Cliff Richard or Eddie Rabbitt).

Today’s playlist consists of all the songs to be #1 in Glenn’s Ten on November 24, in chronological order, except for 1985’s entry, as I cannot find that notebook.