Reason to Believe

A significant song in my history...

Blast from the past

Reminded of this, inevitably, by Olympic Opening Ceremony.  I don't know if it's true but I remember hearing that Millie only ever earned ten shillings and sixpence from this world-wide hit.  (That's 52.5 pence, folks.)

A new-to-me duo - hilarious

A phenomenal talent, an awful tragedy

Those with phenomenal talent seem to have a well-above average tendency to leave us early.  It isn't yet known what killed Ms. Houston, but her destructive life-style was no secret.


The song that will always be most associated with her name has powerful, personal memories for me.  While it was still a big hit, my own wife Elaine was in the midst of one of her sessions of serious illness, and she became frightened that, this time, I would lose patience and leave her.

In one of those Grand Romantic Gestures that only a Yorkshireman is capable of, I bought her Whitney's 'I will always love you' and said 'Listen to the lyrics of this.'  Hmm; I should have listened first.  For though the refrain is 'I...I...I... will always love you' the whole song is saying 'I will always love you, but I'm leaving you.'   It wasn't - to be honest - a great help at the time.


Still - great song, wonderful voice, phenomenal talent - and an awful tragedy.

Ruth Rogers/Andrea Bocelli

Ruth Rogers is the current joint leader of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.  Here, she duets with Andrea Bocelli.


A little culture for you all!

Barrage

Barrage are a Canada-based group of musicians.  I include them here partly because the guy clearly visible at 12 seconds is Stefan Defilet, who's since gone on to much greater things.  That is, he teaches me...

The history of the piano

'It's quite uninteresting - the first piano was built long after they didn't have any at all...'

Summer memories

Ah, those were the days.  Clark - remember this?

Back again... The Archies!

I do apologise to my faithful reader; the relentless demands of the Day Job are making blogging somewhat occasional.  I hope today's music my indicate the end of the trend.  Listen carefully for this, until you find deep meaning in the lyrics - and then be sure, be absolutely sure, that you're wrong!  (And it's 36 hours early, just to be friendly)

Back bloggin'

OK - now I'm back; hope to post again on Wednesday.  God willing, as always.

Me and you (nostalgia)

The Ultimate Camp Song

One week into my study leave, here's a song from my childhood for all those of you that are already thinking about Summer Camp.

Shadow Dancing

After last week's wonderful example of pop-music dancing (!) I tried really hard to find a clip of the Shadows doing their famous walk-dance.  But I failed, and there's only so much time you can give to these things.


So here are the Shadows anyway - magnificent in its way!

When music was fun

Freddie and the Dreamers: 'You were made for me'

Back in these days, music was fun.  And clock out that dancing!  F and TD never took themselves too seriously.  He died in 2006, aged 69.
Oh - and while you're watching - what an early episode of Blue Peter, with Chris Trace and Valerie Singleton.  I can just about remember those days - and is that the famous Petra in the opening seconds?  Surely, it is!

Happy Birthday, Shirley

Dame Shirley Bassey - like Elvis and David Bowie - celebrates a birthday on January 8th.  Always a powerful performer, she achieved her peak, some would say, with the assistance of two most helpful props men...

Mud on the Road

Little bit late with Monday Music today - blame the snow, and the mud.

Monday Music Plus! (How to be a one-buttock liver!)

This is still music, but it's rather more.  The whole thing is well worth a watch.  I'd not heard of this guy (Benjamin Zander) before - my ignorance, I'm sure.  This video says a great deal about life and leadership.

Unexpected Messiah

Yep, most of you have seen this.  Watch it again.  At approximately 1:58 is, for me, the most amazing, spine-tingling moment in all of music anywhere.  It gets me every time; and it's true, too!

Very rare Buddy Holly

If you know just a bit about Buddy Holly, you probably think of 'That'll be the Day' as his first record.  But not so: he'd earlier released 'Blue Days, Black Nights' on the Decca label, as well as 'Modern Don Juan'.  Neither of them did well, Decca would not renew his contract so he signed with Brunswick Records, and the rest is (very, very brief) history.

More Janine

Back to the serious this week: some of you have expressed appreciation of my occasional posting of Janine Jansen's videos - and I'm sure it's the quality of her playing, even though only men have commented!  Here she is playing Bartok's Romanian Dances.  It's the piece my very patient teacher has set me these past five weeks or so - though it doesn't sound much like this when I play it.  (Which will be no surprise to those who've heard me; and still less to Stefan.)