As I pack my bags, Koko Taylor and I are rocking out.
Koko, Mike and I rocked out one night in New Haven, ~1978
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Dance Performance by Mike with Ballroom Instructor
I'm dancing with my senior instructor, Lana Rudenco, in October 2012 at a Fred Astaire Rockland NY Studio showcase party. Choreography by Diana McDonald based on a famous Fred Astaire-Rita Hayworth movie dance, which is used by the New York City Ballet for its tribute to Fred Astaire.
Check it out here.
Check it out here.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Last night I watched the classic 1935 film musical Roberta, which is set in Paris. The romantic leads are played by Irene Dunn and Randolph Scott. The secondary romantic couple is played by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Ginger Rogers is hilarious early in the film, masquerading - with a faux French accent - as a wealthy countess and a Parisian woman of very high fashion. She and Fred meet by accident in Paris. Back in Indiana they were a song and dance team, and of course they pick up where they left off.
A beautiful Lucille Ball plays one of the many fashion models in the movie. Speaking of Lucy, William Frawley (better known as Fred Mertz), plays a bartender.
It's a beloved musical because of its songs, written by Jerome Kern, and the dance routines. In particular Irene Dunn sings Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, accompanied by an orchestra of balalaikas.
Later Fred and Ginger dance to an instrumental version.
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkQU-VQkhGw for all of that.
Jerome Kern, a great songwriter, also wrote Ol' Man River and The Way You Look Tonight, a Sinatra staple that Kern wrote for Fred Astaire to sing to Ginger in Shall We Dance.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is one of the great popular songs of the 20th century, and continues to have an impact on American popular culture. A remarkable, long and eclectic list of singers and groups have done a rendition of the song (some listed below).
The Platters recorded the most commercially successful version of the song in 1952.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2di83WAOhU
A favorite version of mine is sung by Dinah Washington:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_OkmVtUaA0
Here's a version by Jerry Garcia, with the lovely Ashley Judd sitting next to him, from the movie Smoke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEuJqlrfEZ0
To quote Cliff Claven, here's a little known fact: Jerry Garcia was named after Jerome Kern.
The song has been central to many movies and books (a list of both in Wikipedia).
In the climax of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield comes to terms with reality while watching his 6 year old sister Phoebe on the carousel as it plays Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.
The song title still pervades American popular culture. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is the title of the pilot episode of the AMC TV series Mad Men (airdate July 19, 2007).
A partial list of who else has recorded a version of the song, along with some links:
Kathryn Grayson (from Lovely to Look At, a 1952 remake of Roberta)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C3OxlpoIRI
Judy Garland on The Judy Garland Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz68KvMtHOA
Nat King Cole http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Je0rHIal4
Barbara Streisand
Louis Armstrong
Johnny Mathis
Harry Belafonte
Sarah Vaughn
Billie Holiday
Tommy Dorsey
Glenn Miller
Benny Goodman
Cannonball Adderly
Thelonius Monk
Sonny Rollins
Charlie Parker
Ray Conniff
Al Jolson
Edith Piaf
Cher
Zoot and Rowlf from the Muppet Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ygnnPWvC9c
A beautiful Lucille Ball plays one of the many fashion models in the movie. Speaking of Lucy, William Frawley (better known as Fred Mertz), plays a bartender.
It's a beloved musical because of its songs, written by Jerome Kern, and the dance routines. In particular Irene Dunn sings Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, accompanied by an orchestra of balalaikas.
Later Fred and Ginger dance to an instrumental version.
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkQU-VQkhGw for all of that.
Jerome Kern, a great songwriter, also wrote Ol' Man River and The Way You Look Tonight, a Sinatra staple that Kern wrote for Fred Astaire to sing to Ginger in Shall We Dance.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is one of the great popular songs of the 20th century, and continues to have an impact on American popular culture. A remarkable, long and eclectic list of singers and groups have done a rendition of the song (some listed below).
The Platters recorded the most commercially successful version of the song in 1952.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2di83WAOhU
A favorite version of mine is sung by Dinah Washington:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_OkmVtUaA0
Here's a version by Jerry Garcia, with the lovely Ashley Judd sitting next to him, from the movie Smoke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEuJqlrfEZ0
To quote Cliff Claven, here's a little known fact: Jerry Garcia was named after Jerome Kern.
The song has been central to many movies and books (a list of both in Wikipedia).
In the climax of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield comes to terms with reality while watching his 6 year old sister Phoebe on the carousel as it plays Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.
The song title still pervades American popular culture. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is the title of the pilot episode of the AMC TV series Mad Men (airdate July 19, 2007).
A partial list of who else has recorded a version of the song, along with some links:
Kathryn Grayson (from Lovely to Look At, a 1952 remake of Roberta)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C3OxlpoIRI
Judy Garland on The Judy Garland Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz68KvMtHOA
Nat King Cole http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Je0rHIal4
Barbara Streisand
Louis Armstrong
Johnny Mathis
Harry Belafonte
Sarah Vaughn
Billie Holiday
Tommy Dorsey
Glenn Miller
Benny Goodman
Cannonball Adderly
Thelonius Monk
Sonny Rollins
Charlie Parker
Ray Conniff
Al Jolson
Edith Piaf
Cher
Zoot and Rowlf from the Muppet Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ygnnPWvC9c
Friday, January 21, 2011
Rowdy music, ecstatic music
On Friday evening, home alone, I unwound a work week with music, wine, olives and cheese --
- 1967: At the home of Dr Stotts, while his parents were away, youth smoked DMT and sought music-- "I might get burned up by the Sun! But I've had my fun!"
- After that opener I wanted to hear Ten Years After again!
- Forty years after the 1969 Woodstock Rockfest, Oregon still has the Oregon Country Fair.
- In 1980, Ted and Otila eloped to Oahu. Radios were playing While You See A Chance and Otila liked it right away.
- In 1974, this Peace Corps teacher brought a Soul Sacrifice to an teachers faikava in the Friendly Islands. Actually Santana's electricity didn't match the rest of the evening's mellow Tongan love songs.
- Speaking of sacrifices, I've always liked Cast Your Fate to the Wind
- End of the Line put a cap on my Chardonay.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Felsha Reminds Mike of the Beauty of SIlent Films
On this blog (see Top 20 songs) Felsha had me check out a couple of music videos, both of which were beautiful. One of them had a lot of meaning for me beyond the music.
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NZdggNUvq0&feature=related
Maxence Cyrin is the pianist/composer of this piece, Where is My Mind. The video is made entirely of excerpts from the film The Mysterious Lady (1928), starring the great Greta Garbo.
Cyrin's music and the film segments make each other more than they are alone. This is actually not surprising, because silent films were meant to be viewed in a theater, accompanied by live piano music. Part of the film would be the piano score written for it. In the early 1980's I saw a different Garbo classic at the Anthology Film Archives on Astor Place in the East Village of Manhattan, and, along with the film, a pianist played the score that had originally been written for it. It was a completely different experience from viewing a silent film without the music, the music added drama, comedy, etc.
Inspired by this, I looked at other videos of Cyrin. Yet another featured a classic silent film. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2A5Gno7T0Y&NR=1
This piece is called La femme chinoise (Yellow Magic Orchestra), the film is The Goddess (1934), a Chinese film set in Shanghai. The Chinese word that gets translated to "goddess" means both goddess and prostitute. The actress is Ruan Lingyu, a legendary Chinese movie star who was the Greta Garbo of Chinese silent films, usually playing the tragic heroine. She had a full but complicated personal life and committed suicide at the age of 24, leaving the note: "Gossip is a terrible thing."
The woman's long form-fitting dress is a form of the cheongsam, a traditional Chinese dress. Cheongsam with slits up the legs were worn by prostitutes and women of fashion. It showed off their slender, elegant bodies, and their gentle curves. That style of dress is still worn occasionally by Chinese women today, at formal occasions. At the storied ballroom dance club The Paramount, which celebrates the glamour of old Shanghai, the female dance professionals all wear this style of dress. Bolei and I have been there several times, and danced with each other and professional dancers (for a price).
At the very end of the film, you see the lights of Shanghai. The skyscrapers are Art Deco, they loved the great Art Deco skyscrapers of Manhattan (such as the Woolworth and the Chrysler buildings).
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NZdggNUvq0&feature=related
Maxence Cyrin is the pianist/composer of this piece, Where is My Mind. The video is made entirely of excerpts from the film The Mysterious Lady (1928), starring the great Greta Garbo.
Cyrin's music and the film segments make each other more than they are alone. This is actually not surprising, because silent films were meant to be viewed in a theater, accompanied by live piano music. Part of the film would be the piano score written for it. In the early 1980's I saw a different Garbo classic at the Anthology Film Archives on Astor Place in the East Village of Manhattan, and, along with the film, a pianist played the score that had originally been written for it. It was a completely different experience from viewing a silent film without the music, the music added drama, comedy, etc.
Inspired by this, I looked at other videos of Cyrin. Yet another featured a classic silent film. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2A5Gno7T0Y&NR=1
This piece is called La femme chinoise (Yellow Magic Orchestra), the film is The Goddess (1934), a Chinese film set in Shanghai. The Chinese word that gets translated to "goddess" means both goddess and prostitute. The actress is Ruan Lingyu, a legendary Chinese movie star who was the Greta Garbo of Chinese silent films, usually playing the tragic heroine. She had a full but complicated personal life and committed suicide at the age of 24, leaving the note: "Gossip is a terrible thing."
The woman's long form-fitting dress is a form of the cheongsam, a traditional Chinese dress. Cheongsam with slits up the legs were worn by prostitutes and women of fashion. It showed off their slender, elegant bodies, and their gentle curves. That style of dress is still worn occasionally by Chinese women today, at formal occasions. At the storied ballroom dance club The Paramount, which celebrates the glamour of old Shanghai, the female dance professionals all wear this style of dress. Bolei and I have been there several times, and danced with each other and professional dancers (for a price).
At the very end of the film, you see the lights of Shanghai. The skyscrapers are Art Deco, they loved the great Art Deco skyscrapers of Manhattan (such as the Woolworth and the Chrysler buildings).
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Mike's Favorite Top 20 Songs of the New Millenium
Venga Boys - We Like to Party (1999)
Great merengue song. The beat from the song was used in numerous fun ads for Six Flags, with an old man with a cane (actually a young pro dancer with makeup) dancing up a storm.
Nelly - Ride wit Me (2001)
Avril Lavigne
Sk8er Boi (aka Skater Boy) (2002)
A good story, very well told. Avril rocks.
Girlfriend (2007)
She did this in a dozen langauges, once heard a mix with all of them, wow. All the voices in the chorus are hers.
What the Hell ? (2011)
Premiered on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve !
Michael Andrews/Gary Jules - Mad World (2003)
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4&NR=1 , a great video.
Also see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Ig2JJRpdo&NR=1 ,
the video for Gears of War - Mad World (Extended Version).
Originally by Tears for Fears (1982), "Mad World" achieved a second
round of success after it was covered by Michael Andrews and
Gary Jules for the film Donnie Darko (2001).
An increasing cult following spawned by the movie's 2002 DVD release finally prompted Jules and Andrews to issue the song as a proper single in late 2003.
Bowling for Soup - 1985 (2004)
Time has passed someone by, as in Springsteen's Glory Days.
The Killers - Somebody Told Me (2004)
Post-punk at its best.
Akon - Lonely (studio version) (2005)
A sad story, beautifully and quietly told. In the background a synthesized, high-pitched, and distorted voice sings phrases from the classic Mr. Lonely, sounding surreal and eery, a machine with a broken heart. The rebirth of a classic.
Gwen Stefani
Rich Girl (2005)
Wonderful take on The Fiddler on the Roof classic Rich Man.
Wind It Up (2006)
The Sound of Music goatherd yodeller song, integrated with hard, sensual rhythm music.
Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away (2006)
A powerful female reply to the classic rock male song/question: "Should I Stay or Should I Go ?"
Pink
Stupid Girls (2006)
Straight at Paris, Lindsay, etc.
U + Ur Hand (2006)
Pink dumps a Bud Lite kind of guy.
Who Knew (2006)
Rihanna
S.O.S. (2006)
Shut Up and Drive (2007)
Who knew that driving (with the right passenger) and sex are the same thing ?
My dance instructor Cezara and I love to cha-cha to this.
Nelly Furtado
Promiscuous (2006)
Great dialogue that actually goes somewhere. Each sees the other as promiscuous, I'm not sure either of them actually is.
Maneater (2006)
Give It to Me (2006)
The sexiest voice out there.
Daddy Yankee - Rompe (2006)
Sexy party stuff.
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (2006)
Crazy good.
Shakira - Hips Don't Lie (2006)
Meant more to be watched than heard. Real Middle Eastern dancing by the diva.
Cascada - Every Time We Touch (2006)
Old-fashioned romance.
Lady Gaga
The Madonna of the (early) 21st century.
Bad Romance (2008)
"I don't want to be friends. I want your love and I want your revenge."
Given a choice between a bad romance and a good friendship with a woman he desires, any man would go for the bad romance. The Lady knows. A refreshing departure from "Let's just be friends."
The video depicts Lady Gaga as a sex slave (of the music industry ?) and articles have been written about its symbolic and occult meanings.
Telephone (2009)
Lady Gaga "vants to be left alone."
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, that's a reference to the great Greta Garbo. She and Marlene Dietrich defined the 20th century femme fatale: hauntingly beautiful, charismatic, divine, enigmatic, effortlessly seductive.
Great merengue song. The beat from the song was used in numerous fun ads for Six Flags, with an old man with a cane (actually a young pro dancer with makeup) dancing up a storm.
Nelly - Ride wit Me (2001)
Avril Lavigne
Sk8er Boi (aka Skater Boy) (2002)
A good story, very well told. Avril rocks.
Girlfriend (2007)
She did this in a dozen langauges, once heard a mix with all of them, wow. All the voices in the chorus are hers.
What the Hell ? (2011)
Premiered on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve !
Michael Andrews/Gary Jules - Mad World (2003)
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4&NR=1 , a great video.
Also see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Ig2JJRpdo&NR=1 ,
the video for Gears of War - Mad World (Extended Version).
Originally by Tears for Fears (1982), "Mad World" achieved a second
round of success after it was covered by Michael Andrews and
Gary Jules for the film Donnie Darko (2001).
An increasing cult following spawned by the movie's 2002 DVD release finally prompted Jules and Andrews to issue the song as a proper single in late 2003.
Bowling for Soup - 1985 (2004)
Time has passed someone by, as in Springsteen's Glory Days.
The Killers - Somebody Told Me (2004)
Post-punk at its best.
Akon - Lonely (studio version) (2005)
A sad story, beautifully and quietly told. In the background a synthesized, high-pitched, and distorted voice sings phrases from the classic Mr. Lonely, sounding surreal and eery, a machine with a broken heart. The rebirth of a classic.
Gwen Stefani
Rich Girl (2005)
Wonderful take on The Fiddler on the Roof classic Rich Man.
Wind It Up (2006)
The Sound of Music goatherd yodeller song, integrated with hard, sensual rhythm music.
Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away (2006)
A powerful female reply to the classic rock male song/question: "Should I Stay or Should I Go ?"
Pink
Stupid Girls (2006)
Straight at Paris, Lindsay, etc.
U + Ur Hand (2006)
Pink dumps a Bud Lite kind of guy.
Who Knew (2006)
Rihanna
S.O.S. (2006)
Shut Up and Drive (2007)
Who knew that driving (with the right passenger) and sex are the same thing ?
My dance instructor Cezara and I love to cha-cha to this.
Nelly Furtado
Promiscuous (2006)
Great dialogue that actually goes somewhere. Each sees the other as promiscuous, I'm not sure either of them actually is.
Maneater (2006)
Give It to Me (2006)
The sexiest voice out there.
Daddy Yankee - Rompe (2006)
Sexy party stuff.
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (2006)
Crazy good.
Shakira - Hips Don't Lie (2006)
Meant more to be watched than heard. Real Middle Eastern dancing by the diva.
Cascada - Every Time We Touch (2006)
Old-fashioned romance.
Lady Gaga
The Madonna of the (early) 21st century.
Bad Romance (2008)
"I don't want to be friends. I want your love and I want your revenge."
Given a choice between a bad romance and a good friendship with a woman he desires, any man would go for the bad romance. The Lady knows. A refreshing departure from "Let's just be friends."
The video depicts Lady Gaga as a sex slave (of the music industry ?) and articles have been written about its symbolic and occult meanings.
Telephone (2009)
Lady Gaga "vants to be left alone."
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, that's a reference to the great Greta Garbo. She and Marlene Dietrich defined the 20th century femme fatale: hauntingly beautiful, charismatic, divine, enigmatic, effortlessly seductive.
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