It being Monday morning again, it is necessary to begin the week with something foot-tapping. So I have delved back to New Year Eve 2004 and the appearance of The Ditty Bops on the Conan O’Brien Show (apologies for the extraneous non musical content). The Ditty Bops were a band from LA that were noted […]
Orkestra Obsolete – Blue Monday (using 1930s instruments)
Covering an iconic song is always risky. It is often difficult to bring something new to the mix. Joe Cocker’s version of the Beatles’ ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ stands out as probably the most successful example of the genre. It is to be noted that after he realeased his version the Beatles […]
Yo-Yo Ma – Bach Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Prélude
Today – an all time favourite. I first came across this piece when I heard on it the West Wing (season 2 Episode 10 – Noel 20.12.2000), where it formed a powerful background to Josh Lyman’s unfolding diagnosis of PTSD. It has stayed with me ever since. The six Cello Suites, BVW 1007-1012, are suites […]
Sofi Tukker – Deja Vu Affair
This next piece of music began as a case of mistaken identity. My first thought was this was the legendary variety entertainer Sophie Tucker only to find that it was an American musical duo based in New York consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. Their song “Drinkee” from the Soft Animals EP was nominated […]
Symphonie Confinée – La Tendresse
A feature of the present lockdown experience has been the creative ways in which musicians have continued to pursue their art. Whilst we have been having zoom minutes and Facebook Live get togethers, some folk have been arranging performances of great complexity. The Symphonie Confinee are forty-five musicians and singers are brought together in a […]
Ievan’s Polkka
Today I want to take you on a musical journey with one of the catchiest earworms you will ever come across. It is entitled ‘Ievan’s Polkka’. It is a popular Finnish song with lyrics written in the early 1930s by Eino Kettunen to a traditional Finnish polka tune. The song is sung in very heavy […]
The Hot Sardines – Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
Having begun this blog with a song sung in French, I am now turning my attention to a piece sung in German. However this was not the original language of the song. It began life in 1932 as ‘Bei Mir Bistu Shien’ (Yiddish) written by Jacob Jacobs and Sholom Secunda. However five years after its […]
Rachel Croft – I Said Wait
I have been meaning to post about our friend Rachel Croft since I started this blog. Rachel, who is based in York, is a multi-talented musician and artist who began as a busker and who’s career has progressed steadily from there. This video is one of her recent singles. When the world was normal, she […]
Pirates of the Caribbean – Rhapsody Philharmonic
I have to admit to be a real devotee of the flashmob. It might seems a little passé these days, but there is something wonderful about music suddenly being made in the midst of a crowd and then as abruptly as it began it is gone. It seems (that although the music itself might last), […]
Bring Me Sunshine – Yan Tan Tether
It has been such a miserable day – weather wise, that I was reminded of this recent offering for Make Music Day from our friends Yan Tan Tether. I hope that despite the effects of the blustery day on which it was recorded that it might cheer your day. There will be more from YTT […]