Music & More

Blue Sky Riders: Headliner Opening for Himself?

As I mentioned near the end of my Burr-Schlitz post of April 19th, Kenny Loggins has formed a new country/pop trio called Blue Sky Riders in which he is joined by Nashville singer/songwriters Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr. This morning I was reading the latest blog entries on the Blue Sky Riders website. Kenny's July 17th blog called "The child is father to the man" was particularly interesting since it concerns the low attendance for BSR as the opening act for Loggins himself. They just completed the initial three week phase of their tour and will resume in September.

The crowds for BSR were very small. That's to be expected for an opening act. Many concert goers automatically try to skip the opening act. I want a good parking spot so I generally go early. If the act is unknown to me I may be pleasantly surprised. If I know in advance that the opener is bad, I can always wait in the lobby or in my car. 

Singing to a small audience is something Kenny Loggins is not used to. He was taken aback. Apparently, he didn't make it clear enough to his fans that he is part of BSR. My guess is that most of those who didn't arrive early enough to catch the opening act would have been there on time if they knew. Since they've never had a hit single, most of Kenny's fans probably never heard of Middleman and Burr. They don't know that they are great singers in addition to being great songwriters.

Kenny's blog brings up the question, has a headline act ever also appeared as part of his or her own opening act? I don't recall ever seeing that before. Maybe a headliner will do one song with the opener to give them support but I can't recall that I ever saw that happen. I've seen a number of shows where the acts were of practically equal appeal. Actually, when I saw the Guess Who open for Chicago at Manhattan College in 1970, I was there mainly to see the Guess Who. 

I wrote on April 19th that "My wife and I saw Loggins & Messina at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland in 1976. The opening act that night was Fleetwood Mac. We were so glad when they finished so we could hear L&M." That's how we remember it. But Kenny, after saying that "Seems people prefer missing the opening act in general", continues to say that "I guess I'd forgotten my experience of being the opening act for Fleetwood Mac many years ago." I haven't found anything confirming who opened for who, but I admit that Kenny probably knows better than we would. At 63, he's a little younger than us so maybe he has fewer "senior moments".

If you go to a Kenny Loggins show with BSR, get there on time. You won't be disappointed. Check out their performance of "Dream" on You-Tube. You can also hear 5 of their songs on www.blueskyridersband.com and get a free download of "Dream". The trio are working together writing songs and making demos for a new album.

 

 

Suzy Bogguss: American Folk Songbook

I admit that I had my doubts when I purchased the American Folk Songbook cd from the Suzy Bogguss website. The doubts were not about the quality of the vocals on her first album (other than her latest Christmas cd released last year) since "Sweet Danger" in 2007. With Suzy, there never has been any doubt in that respect. Besides, she sounded great when my wife and I saw her Christmas Show over 6 months ago at the Loveless Barn.

My doubts with American Folk Songbook were about the material. Of the 17 songs on the album, I only heard of about half of them before. Who ever heard of "Froggy Went a Courtin"? Doesn't sound like a folk song. It made me think right away of "Plunk your magic twanger Froggy" and Andy Devine, a name probably familiar only to seniors like me. (I Can't believe it. There's actually a website called www.plunkyourmagictwangerfroggy.com.) Was Suzy taking more than a nip of the wine on her "Wine, Women & Song" tour when she made this selection? And "Banks of the Ohio" is a song about murder? "Shady Grove", the album's opening track, is the name of a woman? What's going on here? "Wayfaring Stranger" is a tale of a sad journey through life ending in the wish to join loved ones in the hereafter. Oh, joy. "All the Pretty Little Horses" is a lullabye; it has nothing to do with the book of a similar title which I found to be sleep inducing. The title is enough to explain what "Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier" is about. The song is said to predate the Revolutionary War. "Careless Love" and the story of a girl's lost love in "Wildwood Flower" rounded out the songs I was not familiar with.

If you asked me to sing any of the songs I was a bit familiar with, you would not be in for a memorable experience. My overall recall of the lyrics is minimal and I can't sing. I know a good bit of Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" and a fair part of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" plus "Red River Valley" and "Git Along Little Dogies" from my TV cowboy watching youth in the 50's. Over the years since then I've also become a little bit familiar with the beautiful ballad "Shenandoah" plus  "Ol' Dan Tucker" being late for his supper, "Rock Island Line" is a mighty good line and fifteen miles on the "Erie Canal". My wife remembers singing "Sweet Betsy From Pike" in grade school.

All kidding aside, this is a great album. (See Ben Foster's review of 8/18/11 on Country Universe.) I feel like I've expanded my musical education by familiarizing myself with these classic American folk songs. The album features a wide variety of instrumentation. Besides the guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica,  accordion and concertina, there's a Jew's harp, snare drum, tin whistle and even a hammer dulcimer. (I had to google that last one.) Background vocals are provided by Suzy's "Wine, Women & Song" partners, Matraca Berg and Gretchen Peters, two of the all time great songwriters, plus hubby Doug Crider, Gerald Boyd and Harry Stinson also do some singing.

The album is for sale on her website now and the album and accompanying songbook will be available at Cracker Barrel Restaurants on July 18th. The album will also be available at other stores and digital outlets on August 2nd. My website purchase did not include the songbook and I'm a little confused as to how the package will be offered outside of Cracker Barrel.

Someday, I'd love to see Suzy do an album of old pop standards. Once at the Bottom Line in NYC, I heard her sing "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" and at the Blackfriar's Theatre in Staunton, VA, she sang "Someone to Watch Over Me". On her great "Swing" album from 2003, she recorded "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me". More of that please.

Pop Rain Songs

In my post of June 21st, I listed country rain songs and posed the question at the end as to which genre, country or pop, does a better job on rain songs. Two of the songs I mentioned I questioned whether they should be considered pop or country, Anne Murray's "Wrong End of the Rainbow" and Elvis Presley's "Kentucky Rain". No comments so far. One problem I have with pop rain songs is that I haven't listened to much pop music on the radio or elsewhere in the last 30 years and in the country rain article I mentioned many songs from that time period. Hmm. What to do? Go with what I've got.

The artist listed is not necessarily the first to record the song. I just listed the artist whose cover I liked best or who is best known for that song or that I have their version on cd. To find out the original artist and other covers for many of these songs, you can check out www.secondhandsongs.com. The following list of pop rain songs and artists are followed by names of the writer(s) in parenthesis and the year it was originally recorded. Occasionally, I'll add a comment because the song title does not suggest any connection to rain or just cause I feel like it.

Pop Rain Songs:

Singing in the Rain - Gene Kelly (music -Nacio Herb Brown & lyrics - Arthur Freed) 1929. The 1952 movie with Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds made it famous.

Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)  - Ethel Waters (Harold Arlen & Theodore Kohler) 1933

Pennies From Heaven - The Skyliners (Arthur Johnson & Johnny Burke) originally recorded in 1936 by Bing Crosby, the first version I ever heard was by the Skyliners in 1960. For any young listeners, the song begins, "Every time it rains it rains, pennies from heaven".

Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland (music - Harold Arlen & Herbert Stothart and lyrics - E.Y. Harburg) 1938, Academy Award winning song from The Wizard of Oz.

Come Rain or Come Shine - Nancy Lamott (Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen) 1946.

Just Walking in the Rain - Johnny Ray (Johnny Bragg & Robert Riley) 1956

Raining in My Heart - Buddy Holly (Felice & Boudleaux Bryant) 1959. The Bryants are best known for writing many hits for the Everly Brothers, but not the next song.

Crying in the Rain - Everly Brothers (Carole King & Howard Greenfield) 1961

Raindrops - Dee Clark (Johnny Otis & Dee Clark) 1961

Rhythm of the Rain - The Cascades (John Claude Gummoe) 1963

Walking in the Rain - Jay & the Americans (Phil Spector, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil) 1964

Early Morning Rain - Gordon Lightfoot (Gordon Lightfoot) 1965, originally recorded by Ian & Sylvia.

Bus Stop - The Hollies (Graham Gouldman) 1966. "Bus stop, wet day, she's there, I say, please share my umbrella, ... All that summer we enjoyed it, wind and rain and shine, that umbrella we employed it, by August she was mine".

Tell It to the Rain - The Four Seasons (Chubby Cifelli & Mike Petrillo) 1966

Summer Rain - Johnny Rivers (James Hendricks) 1967 

I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations (Roger Penzabene, Barrett Strong & Norman Whitfield) 1967

The Rain, the Park and Other Things - The Cowsills (Artie Kornfield & Steve Duboff) 1967

Stormy - Classics IV (Buddy Buie & James Cobb) 1968, lead singer Dennis Yost died in December of '08.  "I stand alone in the rain, callin' your name, oh Stormy ..."

Rainy Night in Georgia - Brook Benton (Tony Joe White) 1969

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - B.J. Thomas (Burt Bacharach & Hal David) 1969. A #1 song for BJ, it also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the movie, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid".

Fire and Rain - James Taylor (James Taylor) 1970

Have You Ever Seen the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival (John Fogerty) 1970

Who'll Stop the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival  (John Fogerty) 1970

Rainy Days and Mondays - the Carpenters (Paul Williams & Roger Nichols) 1971

Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again - the Fortunes (Tony Macaulay, Roger Greenaway & Roger Cook) 1971

Taxi - Harry Chapin (Harry Chapin) 1972, This six minutes and 44 seconds song begins "It was raining hard in Frisco, I needed one more fare to make my night". Great story song.

It Never Rains in Southern California - Albert Hammond (Mike Hazlewood & Albert Hammond) 1972

Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sedaka (Phil Cody & Neil Sedaka) 1974

Rainy Day People - Gordon Lightfoot (Gordon Lightfoot) 1975 

Come In From the Rain - Melissa Manchester (Carole Bayer Sager & Melissa Manchester) 1976. Inexplicably, this great song from my wife's favorite singer was never released as a single. 

I Made It Through the Rain - Barry Manilow (music - Gerard Kenny, lyrics - Drey Shepperd, Bruce Sussman, Jack Feldman & Barry Manilow) 1980

What are the best pop rain songs from the 80's, 90's and oughties or any earlier songs I may have missed?

While there are some very good country rain songs, I think that this category is clearly better covered by pop songs. The first five songs, all written before 1950, are all classics. Others such as Rainy Night in Georgia, Rainy Days and Mondays, Fire and Rain are also in that category.

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Denver - Songwriter

This post is primarily written for fans of John Denver, who are tired of the lack of respect for the late singer/songwriter. An article appeared on June 29, 2011 in That Nashville Sound blog listing the top ten deserving acts to be inducted into the country music hall of fame. The writer, Ken Morton, Jr., comments on each candidate and lists Kenny Rogers first as most deserving and John Denver tenth. JD's chances of induction into the country hall are slim to none in the near future, if ever. Fans of traditional country music, which probably include the H of F decisionmakers, will never accept him. When you consider his singing ability, hit songs, awards, etc., along with his songwriting, JD should have been inducted many years ago. My only problem with Mr. Morton's fine article is that he fails to mention Denver's prowess as a songwriter. ASCAP lists 228 works written by JD and he only lived to be 53. He was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1996, the year before he died.

The songs that follow are some of my favorite Denver songs. Notice how many are solely written by JD. My comments are limited to identifying artists singing with JD and the names of co-writers where applicable. Denver fans know the songs and don't need my input. The singles are listed in roughly the order in which they were released. The first group includes songs for which he alone composed the music and penned the lyrics. The second group of songs will be JD co-writes, and the last, songs he chose to cover by other songwriters.

Songs solely written by John Denver:

- singles:

Leaving On a Jet Plane

Follow Me

Goodbye Again

I'd Rather Be a Cowboy

Farewell Andromeda (Welcome to My Morning)

Annie's Song

Back Home Again

Sweet Surrender

I'm Sorry

Calypso

Fly Away - with Olivia Newton John

Looking For Space

It Makes Me Giggle

Like a Sad Song

My Sweet Lady

How Can I Leave You Again

I Want to Live

Downhill Stuff

What's On Your Mind

Dancing with the Mountains

Some Days Are Diamonds

Shanghai Breezes

Seasons of the Heart

Perhaps Love - with Placido Domingo

Wild Montana Skies - with Emmylou Harris

Love Again - with Sylvie Vartan

Dreamland Express

Country Girl in Paris

- album tracks:

Matthew

Two Shots

Poems, Prayers & Promises

This Old Guitar

Rhymes & Reasons

Sleepin' Alone

Starwood in Aspen

Annie's Other Song

For Baby (For Bobbie)

Rocky Mountain Suite (Cold Nights in Canada)

The Music Is You

Singing Skies and Dancing Waters

Wrangle Mountain Song 

JD co-writes with collaborators listed after the title:

- singles:

Take Me Home, Country Roads - Bill & Taffy Danoff

Rocky Mountain High - lyrics by JD, music by Mike Taylor & JD

Sunshine on My Shoulder - lyrics by JD, music by Dick Kniss, Mike Taylor & JD

- album tracks:

Dearest Esmeralda - Bill Danoff

Shipmates and Cheyenne - music by JD, lyics by Joe Henry.

Spirit - Joe Henry

Windsong-  Joe Henry

Come and Let Me Look in Your Eyes - Joe Henry 

Love is Everywhere - music by John Summers, words by JD, JH, Summers and Steve Weisberg.

JD chose some very good material to record that was written by other songwriters:

- singles:

Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Martin Summers

Baby You Look Good to Me Tonight - Bill Danoff

The Cowboy and the Lady - Bobby Goldsboro

- album tracks:

Today - Randy Sparks

Saturday Night in Toledo, Ohio - Randy Sparks

Grandma's Feather Bed - Jim Connor.

Mother Nature's Son - Lennon-McCartney

Forest Lawn - Tom Paxton

Boy From the Country -  Michael Murphey & Owens B. Castleman.

Late Nite Radio -  Bill and Taffy Danoff

Song of Wyoming - Kent Lewis

Cowboy's Delight - Bob Carpenter and David Holster

Polka Dots & Moonbeams - James Van Heusen and Johnny Burke

As you can see, the only major hit he is known for that he didn't have any involvement in the writing was "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy". Comments are welcome.

See past posts on John Denver of 10/15/08 for his "Spirit" album and 12/7/10 for his "Windsong" album. 

 

81 games

If you're not into baseball trivia, you should stop reading immediately.

While Major League Baseball's All-Star Game won't be played until Tuesday, July 12th, the 2011 season's mid-point has been reached. As of today, all 30 major league teams have played at least 81 games, most more.  Rain is the biggest reason why the Orioles finally reached their 81st game today, 4 or 5 days later than most of the other teams.

Due to scheduling and rainouts, there is obviously no single date upon which every team plays its 81st game. What follows is each team's record after 81 games displayed as standings for all the major league divisions. The standings below reflect a standings that never actually existed on any one day. It's just a way for me to see at the end of the season how each team performed in each half of the season. This is extreme baseball trivia to be engaged in only by retirees and others with an excessive amount of time on their hands.

AL - East

New York Yankees          50 - 31 (7/2)

Boston Red Sox              47 - 34 (7/1)

Tampa Bay Rays            45 - 36 (6/29)

Toronto Blue Jays          40 - 41 (6/29)

Baltimore Orioles            36 - 45 (7/3)

AL - Central

Cleveland Indians          44 - 37 (7/2)

Detroit Tigers                 43 - 38 (6/29)

Chicago White Sox        39 - 42 (6/29)

Minnesota Twins            35 - 46 (7/2)

Kansas City Royals       33 - 48 (6/29)

AL - West

Texas Rangers               43 - 38 (6/29)

Los Angeles  Angels     41 - 40 (6/28)

Seattle Mariners             39 - 42 (6/29)

Oakland A's                   36 - 45 (6/29)

NL - East

Philadelphia Phillies      51 - 30 (6/29)

Atlanta Braves               46 - 35 (6/28)

New York Mets               41 - 40 (6/30)

Washington Nationals    40 - 41 (6/29)

Florida Marlins                36 - 45 (6/30)

NL - Central

Milwaukee Brewers        44 - 37 (6/29)

St. Louis Cardinals         43 - 38 (6/29)

Pittsburgh Pirates            41 - 40 (7/1)

Cincinnati Reds              41 - 40 (6/28)

Chicago Cubs                 33 - 38 (6/29)

Houston Astros               28 - 53 (6/29)

NL - West

San Francisco Giants     46 - 35 (6/29)

Arizona Diamondbacks   44 - 37 (6/28)

Colorado Rockies            39 - 42 (6/30)

San Diego Padres           36 - 45 (6/28)

Los Angeles Dodgers      36 - 45 (6/28)

When looking back on a season, I've heard commentators say, for example,  that a player had 25 HR's at the All-Star break but his second half production dropped off so he finished with only 38. If he had kept up his first half pace he would have had well over 40 HR's. If the diminished production wasn't due to an injury, they may trot out the old explanations that the dog days of August or the pressure of the pennant race got to him.

Let's take a closer look. The Los Angeles Angels are playing their 85th game today. They are scheduled to play 7 more games before the All-Star break. As a result, they play 92 games before and only 70 after. It's tough to match your 1st half production in the 2nd half when you're playing 22 fewer games!

First half surprises so far:

The Pittsburgh Pirates, at 41 - 40, have a shot at finishing at .500 or better after 18 consecutive losing seasons. The 1992 team won the NL East with a record of 96 - 66 under Jim Leyland. They also won the NL East in '90 and '91.

The Cleveland Indians, not expected to contend, have been in 1st place for most of the first half.

The Washington Nationals are playing close to .500 ball. Next year Stephen Strasburg could be back in the rotation and Bryce Harper in the starting lineup.