Playlist: Oldies Hour
Link to the playlist: Oldies Hour
The inspiration for this really came a couple of days back when speaking to a friend she was rather surprised at some pop songs I cited as having played. She said that 'I thought you only listened to hard rock' and while hard rock is indeed something that falls easier on my ears on most, reality is that I revel in an unusually broad spectrum of music. So depending on my mood, I may be head-banging to the decidedly sinister masterpiece that is Dimmu Borgir's 'Progenies of the Great Apocalypse' or head nodding to Selena Gomez's ' Love you like a love song' (Yes, this may just be the first time Dimmu Borgir and Selena Gomez have been mentioned in the same sentence)
So I have decided to put together a playlist of a different genre of music every week. But rather than just make a playlist, I want to tell you the story. Maybe a little bit about how these songs came to be, something about impact and in ocassional cases what they mean to me. These won't quite be like MTV 'Behind the music' episodes but I do hope you will be fairly entertained.
Today my mood is taking me back in time, well before I was born. An era played to most of us only in black and white, a seemingly simpler age of ladies and gentlemen, not bitches and daugs. There's a certain longing and honesty in these 'golden oldies' and they never fail to remind me of the fleeting nature of life. The best part is when you close your eyes and almost time travel.
Let's kick things off with Jim Reeve's 1964 hit 'Welcome to my World'. Jim Reeves is not half as famous as Frank Sinatra (who is also splattered all over this playlist) but in my opinion, the dictionary should just contain a link to a recording of his voice under the word 'baritone'. This song does his voice perfect justice, expertly complementing it with the string orchestra and hmms typical of the period with just a dab of classical guitar. Sadly this was Jim Reeve's last hit as he died tragically in a plane crash later that year
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Once you are in the Nat King mood, you have to listen to his trademark song 1950's 'Mona Lisa'. By now you are probably on your third whisky, trying to come to terms with the fact that your voice will never ever sound as cool.
That's alright. Coz you can now dance to Dean Martin's 'Mambo Italiano'. You have heard a rehashed version on some recent Visa ads and even Dean Martin's version wasn't the original but for a song from 1954, it has remarkable energy.
We all know Louis Armstrong best for 'What a Wonderful World' that has been overused in emotional films, covered by everyone from Joey Ramone to the big Hawaiian dude on the ukulele. 'What a Wonderful' is on my list and I love it but 1964's 'Hello Dolly' just has so much cheek. 'Hello Dolly, I'm Louis' probably is the first time an artist used their name at the beginning of the song just like half the rap artists today. But they can't come close to Satchmo's swagger.
Things get back into a tranquil mood as the King of Rock'n'Roll comes in with 1956's 'Love me tender'. The melody is simple, the arrangement simpler and it's all about the voice. Deep and with more texture than the average textile. What makes this song remarkable for me was that Elvis was all of 21 when he recorded this. Try listening to James Hetfield of Metallica (famous for his deep voice) when he was the same age and he sounds like a scalded cat in comparison.
We keep going with Elvis and move five years forward in time to the crooning classic 'Can't help falling in love', possibly my favourite song of all time. If you associate this song only with UB40's cover from the 80s, then maybe we are not such good friend anymore;)
Sinatra is back with 1964's 'Fly me to the moon', which yes was rather appropriately associated with the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission. Though I just found this out on wiki'ing the song. I associate this song with my first month in University when I had a walkman with a Sinatra cassette (yes, cassette but I'm not that old) and this song seemed to always pop up at the right time.
Ah we are finally here. To an unusual but a very special choice Mary Hopkin's one hit wonder 'Those were the days' from 1967. For my friends from Rajkot, this song would be familiar, introduced to us by our english teacher Bhoopendra sir who reminisced listening to this song as a young boy thrust into a British boarding school. For me, first hearing the song as a twelve or thirteen year old, it was a nice song but that was about it. But now, the lyrics make so much sense.
'Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days'
The irony is that Mary Hopkin was all of 18 when she sang this song. So those words probably meant little to her then but mean the world to her now.
1966's 'Strangers in the Night' by Sinatra again needs little introduction. Along with 'My way', it is a song that has grown larger in life over the years. I first heard it being covered by Gary Lawyer, one of India' first popular English musicians in a performance at Bangalore club. The tid-bit that probably interests you more is the fact is that Scooby Doo got his name from the ending of this song (I kid not. Go listen to it now)
Even more famous is Doris Day's 'Que sera sera' from 1956. 'Whatever will be, will be'. Beautiful sounding words expressing a wonderful philosophy, a nice reminder to relax and stop worrying about actions and consequences.. No wonder this song has endeared for so long.
Continuing the theme of timeless classics, there are very few amongst us who would not have heard 'The girl from Ipanema'.Sinatra's version makes its way here but the song is originally a Brazillian bossa nova which explains the catchy beat. The lyrics are also notable for their wonderful visualization as the subject of the song virtually appears in front of you. Also look out for the interlude in Portugese which I don't understand but still makes so much sense.
'Luck be a lady' is the kind of song I imagine playing in dance halls or whatever equivalent of clubs they had back then. The brass section is thumping, Sinatra's delivery is cocky and in a similar way to Mambo Italiano (though the songs are completely different) the energy level is amazing for the time. This song actually featured in a famous broadway play of the time ' Guys and Dolls', rather appropriately about gamblers and gangsters who I guess rely more on 'Lady luck' than most.
1951s 'Kiss to build a dream on' is a charming song that only Louis Armstrong could pull off without sounding too forward. A relaxed jazz piece, perfect for those late nights. Maybe that's why it featured on Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. I especially like the trumpet solo and let's not forget that Louis Armstrong's biggest claim to fame is the fact that he is regarded as only one of the greatest Jazz Trumpeters of all time. Which makes it so unfair that he had such an amazing voice as well.
'What a wonderful world' would not have been the phenomenon it is today if it wasn't for the way he sung it. Slightly hoarse yet always in key, shaking yet enunciating clearly , sad but strong, nobody else could have captured the bitter sweetness of the song and the irony in its lyrics like he did.
'Moon River' is one highly awarded song winning everything from Oscars, Grammys and what have you during its debut in the classic 'Breakfast in Tiffanys'. Though Audrey Hepburn sang in the film and that is a very cute rendition, Andy Williams was the original and the one I prefer. Still, fret not. I have put a picture of Audrey Hepburn (yes, the iconic one from the movie) to make up .
As we reach the end of the playlist, let's appropriately bring in Jim Reeves 'Adios Amigo'. It's rather obscure and you would have to be a hardcore fan to have heard it. It's a sad song about two friends having to end their friendship due to their love for the same girl but for me, the subject matter of the song is of little consequence. It's all about the melancholic mood, perfect for the end of a tough day.
I'm going to finish this playlist with a biggie. 'My Way' is Sinatra's signature song and has been referenced countless times in popular culture. Bon Jovi talked about it in their 90s hit 'It's my life'. Everyone from Elvis Presley to punk bad boy 'Sid Vicious' to the three Tenors have made their own version and in fact it is only second to the Beatles's 'Yesterday'. Similar to 'It was a very good year', it is told from the point of view of a man reflecting on his life but what has made this song stand out and endear is the determination in the lyrics, making it an anthem much like say Queen's 'We are the Champions'. 'I did it my way' expresses the strength of an individual to defy the obstacle strewn path of life and get through it on their own terms.
Thanks for listening, thanks for reading and if you'd like more playlists and accompanying notes, let me know.
The inspiration for this really came a couple of days back when speaking to a friend she was rather surprised at some pop songs I cited as having played. She said that 'I thought you only listened to hard rock' and while hard rock is indeed something that falls easier on my ears on most, reality is that I revel in an unusually broad spectrum of music. So depending on my mood, I may be head-banging to the decidedly sinister masterpiece that is Dimmu Borgir's 'Progenies of the Great Apocalypse' or head nodding to Selena Gomez's ' Love you like a love song' (Yes, this may just be the first time Dimmu Borgir and Selena Gomez have been mentioned in the same sentence)
So I have decided to put together a playlist of a different genre of music every week. But rather than just make a playlist, I want to tell you the story. Maybe a little bit about how these songs came to be, something about impact and in ocassional cases what they mean to me. These won't quite be like MTV 'Behind the music' episodes but I do hope you will be fairly entertained.
Let's kick things off with Jim Reeve's 1964 hit 'Welcome to my World'. Jim Reeves is not half as famous as Frank Sinatra (who is also splattered all over this playlist) but in my opinion, the dictionary should just contain a link to a recording of his voice under the word 'baritone'. This song does his voice perfect justice, expertly complementing it with the string orchestra and hmms typical of the period with just a dab of classical guitar. Sadly this was Jim Reeve's last hit as he died tragically in a plane crash later that year
Speaking of 'Ol Blue Eyes', he makes an early entry in this list with 1966's 'It was a very good year'. Set from the point of a view of an old man talking about his life and the loves he had at different times. I particularly like the lyric 'blue blooded girls of independent means'. If you are an aging casanova (I'm neither btw), this could just be your song but even otherwise, it's quite nice to listen to while in a reminiscing frame of mind. Originally recorded by the relatively unknown Kingston Trio (their version is very nice as well and has some charming whistling), it took Sinatra's star power to elevate this song to grammy success
The next song features Sinatra again or should I say Sinatras since it features Frank's daughter Nancy, a famous musician as well. Even if oldies are about as appealing to you as old socks, you have probably heard 'Something Stupid' thanks to Robbie Williams duet with Nicole Kidman in 2001. But it was the father, daughter version that first set the charts on fire in 1967 though rather disturbingly, some people started calling it the incest song.
No oldies list is complete without Nat King Cole and his tobacco tempered baritone ('King' claimed that smoking three packs of Kool menthol cigarettes a day gave his voice its trademark richness. He also died of lung cancer at the young age of 45). 1956's 'When I fall in love' is the ideal song to sip a whisky too. Listen to it and tell me if you disagree.
Once you are in the Nat King mood, you have to listen to his trademark song 1950's 'Mona Lisa'. By now you are probably on your third whisky, trying to come to terms with the fact that your voice will never ever sound as cool.
That's alright. Coz you can now dance to Dean Martin's 'Mambo Italiano'. You have heard a rehashed version on some recent Visa ads and even Dean Martin's version wasn't the original but for a song from 1954, it has remarkable energy.
We all know Louis Armstrong best for 'What a Wonderful World' that has been overused in emotional films, covered by everyone from Joey Ramone to the big Hawaiian dude on the ukulele. 'What a Wonderful' is on my list and I love it but 1964's 'Hello Dolly' just has so much cheek. 'Hello Dolly, I'm Louis' probably is the first time an artist used their name at the beginning of the song just like half the rap artists today. But they can't come close to Satchmo's swagger.
Things get back into a tranquil mood as the King of Rock'n'Roll comes in with 1956's 'Love me tender'. The melody is simple, the arrangement simpler and it's all about the voice. Deep and with more texture than the average textile. What makes this song remarkable for me was that Elvis was all of 21 when he recorded this. Try listening to James Hetfield of Metallica (famous for his deep voice) when he was the same age and he sounds like a scalded cat in comparison.
We keep going with Elvis and move five years forward in time to the crooning classic 'Can't help falling in love', possibly my favourite song of all time. If you associate this song only with UB40's cover from the 80s, then maybe we are not such good friend anymore;)
Sinatra is back with 1964's 'Fly me to the moon', which yes was rather appropriately associated with the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission. Though I just found this out on wiki'ing the song. I associate this song with my first month in University when I had a walkman with a Sinatra cassette (yes, cassette but I'm not that old) and this song seemed to always pop up at the right time.
Ah we are finally here. To an unusual but a very special choice Mary Hopkin's one hit wonder 'Those were the days' from 1967. For my friends from Rajkot, this song would be familiar, introduced to us by our english teacher Bhoopendra sir who reminisced listening to this song as a young boy thrust into a British boarding school. For me, first hearing the song as a twelve or thirteen year old, it was a nice song but that was about it. But now, the lyrics make so much sense.
'Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days'
The irony is that Mary Hopkin was all of 18 when she sang this song. So those words probably meant little to her then but mean the world to her now.
1966's 'Strangers in the Night' by Sinatra again needs little introduction. Along with 'My way', it is a song that has grown larger in life over the years. I first heard it being covered by Gary Lawyer, one of India' first popular English musicians in a performance at Bangalore club. The tid-bit that probably interests you more is the fact is that Scooby Doo got his name from the ending of this song (I kid not. Go listen to it now)
Even more famous is Doris Day's 'Que sera sera' from 1956. 'Whatever will be, will be'. Beautiful sounding words expressing a wonderful philosophy, a nice reminder to relax and stop worrying about actions and consequences.. No wonder this song has endeared for so long.
Continuing the theme of timeless classics, there are very few amongst us who would not have heard 'The girl from Ipanema'.Sinatra's version makes its way here but the song is originally a Brazillian bossa nova which explains the catchy beat. The lyrics are also notable for their wonderful visualization as the subject of the song virtually appears in front of you. Also look out for the interlude in Portugese which I don't understand but still makes so much sense.
'Luck be a lady' is the kind of song I imagine playing in dance halls or whatever equivalent of clubs they had back then. The brass section is thumping, Sinatra's delivery is cocky and in a similar way to Mambo Italiano (though the songs are completely different) the energy level is amazing for the time. This song actually featured in a famous broadway play of the time ' Guys and Dolls', rather appropriately about gamblers and gangsters who I guess rely more on 'Lady luck' than most.
1951s 'Kiss to build a dream on' is a charming song that only Louis Armstrong could pull off without sounding too forward. A relaxed jazz piece, perfect for those late nights. Maybe that's why it featured on Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. I especially like the trumpet solo and let's not forget that Louis Armstrong's biggest claim to fame is the fact that he is regarded as only one of the greatest Jazz Trumpeters of all time. Which makes it so unfair that he had such an amazing voice as well.
'What a wonderful world' would not have been the phenomenon it is today if it wasn't for the way he sung it. Slightly hoarse yet always in key, shaking yet enunciating clearly , sad but strong, nobody else could have captured the bitter sweetness of the song and the irony in its lyrics like he did.
'Moon River' is one highly awarded song winning everything from Oscars, Grammys and what have you during its debut in the classic 'Breakfast in Tiffanys'. Though Audrey Hepburn sang in the film and that is a very cute rendition, Andy Williams was the original and the one I prefer. Still, fret not. I have put a picture of Audrey Hepburn (yes, the iconic one from the movie) to make up .
As we reach the end of the playlist, let's appropriately bring in Jim Reeves 'Adios Amigo'. It's rather obscure and you would have to be a hardcore fan to have heard it. It's a sad song about two friends having to end their friendship due to their love for the same girl but for me, the subject matter of the song is of little consequence. It's all about the melancholic mood, perfect for the end of a tough day.
I'm going to finish this playlist with a biggie. 'My Way' is Sinatra's signature song and has been referenced countless times in popular culture. Bon Jovi talked about it in their 90s hit 'It's my life'. Everyone from Elvis Presley to punk bad boy 'Sid Vicious' to the three Tenors have made their own version and in fact it is only second to the Beatles's 'Yesterday'. Similar to 'It was a very good year', it is told from the point of view of a man reflecting on his life but what has made this song stand out and endear is the determination in the lyrics, making it an anthem much like say Queen's 'We are the Champions'. 'I did it my way' expresses the strength of an individual to defy the obstacle strewn path of life and get through it on their own terms.
Thanks for listening, thanks for reading and if you'd like more playlists and accompanying notes, let me know.
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