Showing posts with label the Beatles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Beatles. Show all posts

Sunday, August 14, 2016

DESDINOVA'S UNDERRATED & OVERRATED AWARDS


I'm not sure which historical magazine, a few years ago, had an underrated/overrated article. Recently, I began thinking about doing my own version. I realize my opinions usually get me in trouble, but I'm compelled to do this. I really didn't do extensive research, I'm just going on my opinions verses that of co-workers, former classmates, colleagues in the radio industry, film and music critics and other bloggers. You can be mad at some of what I have here, but the only person that will be allowed to dispute my awards is Kanye West.

TV VEHICLE:




UNDERRATED: The Untouchables Truck. How underrated is this vehicle? The only photos I could find of it were screen caps from an episode of Happy Days (above). It deserves recognition because it was a real vehicle. In his book, from which the TV show was based, Eliot Ness explains that his men confiscated a beer truck, used by Al Capone, and fitted it with two steel sheets that were sharpened on the sides. These worked as both a battering ram on the chained doors of illegal breweries and kept bullets from striking the engine.


OVERRATED: The General Lee from The Dukes of Hazard. The doors don't open and you have to crawl through the window. Enough said.


70s MOVIES:


UNDERRATED: Paper Moon. Great dialogue, great casting, black and white cinematography, and fairly accurate historical details.


OVERRATED: Kramer vs Kramer. When is somebody going to admit this is just like a thousand made for TV movies about divorce. Meryl Streep was better in Death Becomes Her and She Devil and Dustin Hoffman better in Tootsie and Meet The Flockers


BEATLES SONG:


UNDERRATED: "I Feel Fine." This is the quintessential early Beatles song. Everything that made The Beatles one of the greatest rock band in history is all right here in this song.



OVERRATED: "In My Life." It is slow and depressing. Not what I want from the Beatles.


50s ROCK & ROLL PIONEER:


UNDERRATED: Screaming Jay Hawkins. His stage act paved the way for Alice Copper, Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss and Marilyn Manson. Some of his 60s recordings could be the forerunner of 2 Live Crew and other rappers hits. Plus, his most famous song, "I Put a Spell On You" was one of the first early rock and roll songs to become an pop standard recorded by singers of other genres (Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" would be the next one).


OVERRATED: Jerry Lee Lewis."The Killer" had about four good songs early in his career, then in the 60s he went country. All of his country songs sound alike and they all suck. The bad part is he just kept recording more of them.

60s AMERICAN POP GROUP:


UNDERRATED: The Monkees. The rock critics and press of the 60s hated them. Over the years that has changed. Their most recent CD has gotten good reviews. They may still get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yet.


OVERRATED: The Four Seasons. Let me first say I like the 70s hits by The Four Seasons, but I find most of the 60s output irritating and much of it was overplayed by radio. If that wasn't enough, they recorded an LP, using something called the "Chee Chee Girl" voice, under the name The Wonder Who. That LP will make your ears bleed. One reason they are here is the talk radio contingent are trying to rewrite history (and intelligent thought) and say that the Four Season were a better group than the Beatles. It a good country people would be executed for saying that.

70s HARD ROCK BAND:


UNDERRATED: Blue Oyster Cult. For a heavy metal band they produced some very smooth recordings that border on yatch rock, while having a strange sense of humor ("Joan Crawford Has Risen From the Grave"). I took my blogging moniker from one of their songs. The only thing complaint is (wait for it) they needed more cowbell.


OVERRATED: Lynard Skynyrd. Overplayed on radio, but part of that has to do with music testing and request lines. Once, I was getting my tires changed in Lebanon, Missouri, and there was a radio in the garage on. "Free Bird" came on the radio and every guy working in that garage went "Yeeehaw," like the Dukes of Hazzard. Scary.

80s VOCALIST:


UNDERRATED: Boy George of Culture Club. If you close your eyes, forget what about the way he looked in the 80s and just listen to his voice, you will find Boy George has one of the most pleasant and smoothest voice in rock and roll. Sadly, people saw him as a gimmick singer.


OVERRATED: Whitney Houston. Besides being the favorite singer of goody two-shoes people in the 80s, she always seems to be saying "Listen to how good I can sing. I'll hold this note real long and prove it." That is irritating.

ROCK GUITARIST:


UNDERRATED: John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service. All you have to do is listen to some of Quicksilver's instrumentals and you will see why I say he is underrated.


OVERRATED: Stevie Ray Vaughan. I shocked a friend of mine, who lives in California, when I told him that some people here in the Ozarks believe Stevie Ray Vaughan was a better guitarist than Jimi Hendrix. "NO WAY!" He said. "That is messed up thinking." Indeed.


ALBUM BY THE EAGLES:


UNDERRATED: One of These Nights.


OVERRATED: Hell Freezes Over. You have one LP that contains the hits, "One of These Nights," "Take It To The Limit" and "Lying Eyes," but also "Journey To the Sorcerer," which was the theme for the radio and TV versions of Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy. The other CD is several live versions of previous hits and the official national anthem of douche-bags everywhere, "Get Over It."  

MOVIE DESIGNED AS A VEHICLE FOR A SINGER:


UNDERRATED: UHF starring Weird Al Yankovic.


OVERRATED: Pure Country starring George Strait. One is a hilarious cult film and the other is the forerunner of the movies on the Hallmark Channel.

NUMBER ONE HIT OF THE 90s:


UNDERRATED: "MmmBop" by Hanson. This is just a great, fun bubble gum song. I don't think any of the radio stations in Springfield, Missouri, played it when it came out. I know KTXY in Columbia played it heavy because it was a NUMBER ONE HIT.


OVERRATED: "Candle In the Wind - 97" by Elton John. I'll just say it. This is not as good as the original version that was on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road LP. It should have made it to Number One, not this one.

MOVIE OF THE 90s:


UNDERRATED: Matinee. A movie about being a monster kid at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis with John Goodman as a William Castle-like producer promoting a meta-film called MANT!, that is filmed in black and white, with several stars from various sci-fi films of the 50s.


OVERRATED: Jerry McGuire. A jock boy picture. I tried to watch it twice and each time it put me to sleep at the word "Hello."

LINE IN A HORROR COMEDY:


UNDERRATED: "It is true. This man has no dick." from Ghostbusters. Peck deserved that comment.


OVERRATED: "You mean like Democrats?" from Ghost Breakers. After this has been on Facebook 50 million times it is no longer funny.

Who knows, I may give out more of these awards sometime.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

#tbt: DID YOU KNOW WHO THIS GUY WAS BACK IN THE 80s?


Earlier this year, there was quite a bit of over-exaggerated anger aimed at the younger generation, especially fans of Kanye West, because they supposedly did know who Paul McCartney was. West and McCartney recorded a song together called "Only One." If you are to believe articles circulating on social media, Kanye West fans thought McCartney was a unknown artist that Kanye discovered. There have even been "screen captures" showing "trending Tweets" by Kanye's fans circulating on Facebook, usually accompanied by condescending, head-shaking, hand-ringing comments from Generation X/Generation Jones people, who believe that the younger generation is screwed up and not wonderful, model teenagers "like we were." Several of my former classmates were among the "horrified" adults critical the "modern youth."

First off, I call BS on "screen captures" of those "trending Tweets." Any time I see a post of a screen capture of Tweets or Facebook post I'm a little suspect. Also these "Tweets" didn't sound like or look like a young persons Tweets or text. Young people know how to text and Tweet in a language older people don't know. Second, my classmates have no business slamming Kanye West fans, who were willing to greet Sir Paul with open arms, because they harassed and ridiculed me for like Paul McCartney and the Beatles in junior high. At my school, the guys liked Hank Jr. and the girls liked Barry Manilow. Because of my choice of music, I was bullied by the guys and refused romantic relationships with the girls. Now, they are acting like Paul McCartney was one of their favorite performers. Thy name is hypocrisy.

Let me give a shout out to Pam at Go Retro! She took the high road on this subject in a fun post filled with facts about Paul McCartney. She observed that every generation is oblivious to the previous generations music.
  
Of course, it is up to me, Desdinova to throw this back in my generation's face. Mwu-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Okay, 80s kids, tell me, who is the guy in these photos?



DID YOU KNOW WHO HE WAS WHEN YOU HEARD HIS NAME DROPPED IN 80S SONGS BY VAN MORRISON, BILLY JOEL, BILLY IDOL AND DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS? Did you recognize him, when he appeared in the videos of Billy Idol and Dexy's Midnight Runners? WELL, DID YOU, YA LITTLE 80's PUNKS?





I may give you the answer or I might not. I may let you live with the fact that you chastised and criticized the young Kanye West fans because they didn't Paul McCartney, yet you did know who this man with a hearing aid was when you were in junior high and high school?  You are just like Principal Dick Vernon in The Breakfast Club. How do you live with yourself?

BTW: For the answer to the identity of this singer is, click on this link.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

DESDINOVA'S FAVORITE BEATLES SONGS


This week marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. It is the 50th anniversary of The Beatles launching the British invasion, dominating the record charts and becoming one of the most influential acts in pop music history. Of course, this also means that, while the mainstream media celebrates this great anniversary, the local media (especially the Springfield News Leader) will inform us that "Ozarks-don't-like-them-thar-Beatles." This has happened many times over the past few years. Instead of talking to the ultimate Beatle-fan or a music professor to explain how the Beatles changed music, the News Leader will find a crabby, old white man (around 90 years old), who will say they "just made noise" or some bat-guano-crazy woman in her 60's, who organized an anti-Beatle group in high school in 1964 or later. When "Free As a Bird" was released, the News Leader had an article about how none of the Springfield radio stations were going to play it. I'm sure some of the local talk radio nitwits will bash the Beatles. 

Thankfully, you have me, Desdinova the Super Villain of the Ozarks, to save the day.  I have compiled a list of my 64 favorite songs by the Beatles songs.  I picked 64 because 1964 was the year the Beatles came to America and we are better off because they did.

1. I Feel Fine
2. I Am the Walrus
3. Can't Buy Me Love
4. I Want to Hold You Hand
5. Rain
6. Strawberry Fields Forever
7. Tomorrow Never Knows
8. Ticket to Ride
9. A Hard Days Night
10. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
11. And Your Bird Can Sing
12. Magical Mystery Tour
13. Hey Bulldog
14. We Can Work It Out
15. I'll Be Back
16. She Loves You
17. Drive My Car
18. I Saw Her Standing There
19. Helter Skelter
20. Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
21. Day Tripper
22. Paperback Writer
23. Revolution
24. Eight Days a Week
25. Got To Get You Into My Life
26. Help!
27. Taxman
28. Don't Bother Me
29. No Reply
30. You Won't See Me
31. All My Loving
32. Things We Said To Day
33. I'm Looking Through You
34. Blue Jay Way
35. Come Together
36. Something
37. I Need You
38. Glass Onion
39. I'm Down
40. Doctor Robert
41. Nowhere Man
42. Tell Me Why
43. All You Need is Love
44. I'll Cry Instead
45. Another Girl
46. While My Guitar Gently Weep
47. Baby You're a Rich Man
48. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
49. You Can't Do That
50. Old Brown Shoe
51. It Won't Be Long
52. It's All Too Much
53. Love Me Do
54. I'm Only Sleeping
55. Get Back
56. Getting Better
57. Eleanor Rigby
58. Hey Jude
59.Your Mother Should Know
60. Hello Goodbye
61. Yellow Submarine
62. Penny Lane
63. A Day In The Life
64. Free as a Bird

BTW: After I wrote this intro, KY 3 news posted some great stories by journalist Ed Filmer from 2000 about the Beatles secret trip to the Ozarks. One features syndicated radio personality Jim Bohannon.
This one is about the ranch they stayed at in Alton, Missouri.  


Tuesday, October 1, 2013

DESDINOVA'S TOP 30 FAVORITE BRITISH INVASION HITS

The British Invasion of the early 60s is the second most important event in the history of rock and roll. To use modern terms, it was a game changer. I have loved the British Invasion music since I became interested in rock and roll in elementary school. I took some flak for liking this music in junior high and high school.

Overall, I have found that Ozarkers hate the British Invasion music. Not sure why. Of course, the local media doesn't help. Over the years, I've seen the Springfield News Leader run countless articles filled with quotes from idiots who hate the Beatles, Stones and other British Invasion acts. Recently, one of the CHR stations ask people on their Facebook page if they thought the Beatles were overrated. I can't believe a radio station would even bring up a topic like that.

I work as a producer on a popular radio show. I researched and scripted and idea for this program called "The British Invasion Songbook." We played hits of the British Invasion that had been recorded previously (and less successfully) by other artist. When it was finished, an insurance agent called a complained, saying he "always hated the British Invasion music. Don't ever do that theme again!" Like we should care what kind of music an insurance agent doesn't like.

Since I have a firm belief that I should force Ozarkers (and others around the world) to like the same music I do, I present my list of my favorite hits of the British Invasion. These are not ranked by chart performance or in any chronological order. I also decided to limit to the main years of the British Invasion's popularity, which would be 1964 - 1968, this way I can get a mix of the first wave (1962-66) and second wave (67-70) of the British Invasion, while including a few hits by first wave acts that hit during the second wave. Also trying to concentrate on the more "power pop" feel of the British Invasion rather than the later progressive/blues/metal British groups (that would make a good follow up list).

1. "She Loves You" - The Beatles
2. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - The Rolling Stones
3. "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks
4. "I Can See For Miles" - The Who
5. "The House of the Rising Sun" - The Animals
6. "Bus Stop" - The Hollies
7. "Heart Full of Soul" - The Yardbirds
8. "She's Not There" - The Zombies
9. "Needles and Pins" - The Searchers
10. "Come See Me" - The Pretty Things
11. "Gimmie Some Lovin" - Spencer Davis Group
12. "Pretty Flamingo" - Manfred Mann
13. "Wild Thing" - The Troggs
14. "She's Fallen In Love With a Monster Man" - Screaming Lord Sutch
15. "Sunshine Superman" - Donovan
16. "I Only Want To Be With You" - Dusty Springfield
17. "Mystic Eyes" - Them
18. "Go Now" - Moody Blues
19. "It's Going To Be Alright" - Gerry and the Pacemakers
20. "Fire Brigade" - The Move
21. "White Shade of Pale" - Procol Harum
22. "All or Nothing" - Small Faces
23. "Sign of the Times" - Petula Clark
24. "Something I've Got To Tell You" - Glenda Collins
25. "Bits & Pieces" - The Dave Clark Five
26. "Here Comes My Baby" - The Tremeloes
27. "Game of Love" - Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders
28.  "No Milk Today" Herman's Hermits
29. "To Sir With Love" - Lulu
30. "The Knack (and How To Get It)" -John Barry Orchestra

I'm sure I left off someones favorite. Leave it as a comment and I might create another list.

     

 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

MUSICAL CLONES: THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY

I frequently hear people whine and complain that most contemporary music sounds the same. I believe part of the problem has to do with the lack of announcers on radio these days. However, part of what inspired me to write this post was Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and Bruno Mars "Locked Out of Heaven." I noticed recently how much Lady Gaga on that song sounds like Madonna. Then a few weeks ago, I heard the Bruno Mars song and thought it was a song by the Police. Let me say, I have no problem with this at all.

If you really want to talk about musical cloning or sound alike artist on T-40, then go back to the mid-60s. Yes, the era that many people, who criticize the current music scene say produced great music. You had "Lies" and "One Track Mind" by the Knickerbockers that sounded like The Beatles. You had Mouse and the Traps "Public Execution" and "Maid of Sugar, Maid of Spice" which sounded like Bob Dylan. The Walker Brothers "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and "Make It Easy On Yourself" sounded like the Righteous Brothers. The Count 5's "Psychotic Reaction" sounded like The Yardbirds "I'm a Man." Barry Young's "One Had My Name, The Other Has My Heart" sounded exactly like then-current Reprise era hits by Dean Martin. The Rolling Stones produced the most imitators, including The Shadows of Night with "Gloria" and "Bad Little Woman," The New Colony Six "I Lie Awake," The Standells "Dirty Water," The Seeds "Can't Seem To Make You Mine" and "Pushing Too Hard." The Kinks managed to have imitations from their contemporaries The Who ("I Can't Explain") and Paul Revere and The Raiders ("Just Like Me"). Although people accused The Hombres "Let It All Hang Out" of being a Bob Dylan imitation, the Southern hipster vocal and goofy lyrics sound more like a cousin of Roger Miller's "My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died" or "You Can't Roller Skate In a Buffalo Heard." Do you get my point?

Over time there have been many "musical clones" or imitations. Many times it is a coincidence or a case of mistaken identity, but many times it is a homage by one artist of someone they admire. Great examples of this include Tommy Roe's early singles, Billy Joel's Innocent Man LP, and XTC's alter ego The Dukes of the Stratosphere. There have also been instances in which every record company tried to find "a group like ..."
The late 50s, there were several clones of the Everly Brothers. Some like the Kalin Twins and the Allisons were real brothers, while Skip & Flip and Tom & Jerry weren't. Matter of fact, Tom & Jerry were two guys named Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

There are also times when people compare the sound of a new artist to an established artist. America was compared to Neil Young and Heart was compared to Jefferson Airplane/Starship on their first hits, but later those comparisons disappeared with follow-up releases.
 
I've decided to compile a list of singers and recordings that sounded like them.

NAT KING COLE
  • "The End" Earl Grant

ELVIS PRESELY:
  • "You Don't Know What You've Got" Ral Donner
  • "Suspicion" Terry Stafford
  • "Washing Machine" Orion (Not only sounded like Elvis, but looked like him. Wore a gold domino mask and was promoted as Elvis reborn)
 BUDDY HOLLY
  •  "What Do You Want" Bobby Vee
  • "Shelia" Tommy Roe
  • "I'm Gonna Love You Too" The Hullabaloos
  • "Someday Someway" Marshal Crenshaw
BO DIDDLEY
  • "Cherokee Dance" Willie and his Unitar
  • "Hey Little Girl" Dee Clark
  • "Rosalyn" The Pretty Things
  • "I Want Candy" The Strangeloves
  • "Who Do You Love" George Thorgood and The Destroyers
CHUCK BERRY
  • "Surfin U.S.A" The Beach Boys
  • "Katmandu" Bob Seger
  • "I Knew The Bride" Dave Edmunds
THE EVERLY BROTHERS
  • "When" Kalin Twins
  • "Hey Schoolgirl" Tom & Jerry
  • "Are You Sure" The Allisons
  • "Love Me Baby" The Balew Twins (They were in a film called Rock It, Baby, Rock It, a clip of them singing this song was used in It Came From Hollywood.)
EDDIE COCHRAN
  • "Everybody" Tommy Roe
  • "Just Like Eddie" Heinz
JACKIE WILSON
  • "Jamie" Eddie Holland (He wrote most of the big Motown hits)
JOHNNY MATHIS
  • "A Very Special Love" Johnny Nash
LITTLE RICHARD
  • "I'm Down" The Beatles
  • "No Time" The Monkees
FATS DOMINO
  • "Lady Madonna" The Beatles
DION & THE BELMONTS
  • "The Longest Time" Billy Joel
FOUR SEASONS
  • "Uptown Girl" Billy Joel
THE BEATLES
  • "She's The One" The Chartbusters
  • "Lies" and "One Track Mind" The Knickerbockers
  • "The Kids Are Alright" The Who
  • "Mayor of Simpleton" XTC
  • "Go All The Way" The Raspberries
  • "I'll Be There For You" The Rembrandts
THE BEACH BOYS
  • "Here, There and Everywhere" The Beatles
  • ""Beach Baby" The First Class
  • "Pale and Precious" The Dukes of the Stratosphere (XTC)
BOB DYLAN
  • "Catch The Wind" Donovan
  • "Public Execution" Mouse & The Traps
  • "Stuck In the Middle With You" Stealers Wheel
  • "Sultans Of Swing" Dire Straits
  • "Romeo's Tune" Steve Forbert
  • "The Good Life" Firetown
THE BYRDS
  • "Western Union" The Five Americans
  • "Don't Fear The Reaper" Blue Oyster Cult
  • "American Girl" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  • "South Central Rain" R.E.M.
  • "You're My Drug" The Dukes of the Stratosphere
THE ROLLING STONES
  • "125" The Haunted
  • "Gloria" and "Bad Little Woman" The Shadows of Knight
  • "I Lie Awake" The New Colony Six
  • "Can't Seem To Make You Mine" and "Pushing Too Hard" The Seeds
  • "Don't Look Back" The Remains
  • "Dirty Water" The Standells
  • "You Said" The Primatives
  • "Brown Eyed Girl" Van Morrison
  • "Who Are The Mystery Girls?" The New York Dolls
  • "Emotions" DFX2
DEAN MARTIN
  • "One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart" Barry Young
  • "Julie, Do You Love Me" Bobby Sherman
ROGER MILLER
  • "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out" The Hombres
THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
  • "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and "Male It Easy On Yourself" The Walker Brothers
ROY ORBISON
  • "You're Only Lonely" J.D. Souther
  • "Maria" Ray Vega
MARVIN GAYE
  • "Tell Her About It" Billy Joel
THE KINKS
  • "I Can't Explain" The Who
  • "Just Like Me" Paul Revere & the Raiders
THE WHO
  • "Biff! Bang! Pow!" The Creation
  • "Mr. Pinnodmy's Dilemma" The Attack
  • "I Must Be Mad" The Craig
  • "Helter Skelter" The Beatles
THE YARDBIRDS
  • "You've Got a Habit of Leaving" David Jones & the Lower Third (David Jones changed his name to David Bowie)
  • "Psychotic Reaction" The Count Five
  • "I'm Sick of You" Iggy & the Stooges
ELECTRIC PRUNES
  • "25 O'Clock" The Dukes of the Stratosphere
PERCY SLEDGE
  • "Whiter Shade of Pale" Procol Harum
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
  • "The Garden of Earthly Delights" United States of America
  • "Send Me a Postcard," "Love Buzz" and "Venus" The Shocking Blue
  • "Zor and Zam" The Monkees
  • "Crazy On You" and "Magic Man" Heart
  • "Only The Lonely" The Motels
JANIS JOPLIN
  • "Baby It's You" Smith
THE FIFTH DIMENSION
  • "Grazing In the Grass" The Friends of Distinction (Originally they were all part of the same group)
  • "Rock The Boat" The Hughes Corporation
ARETHA FRANKLIN
  • "Rescue Me" Fontella Bass (This was actually released before Aretha's Atlantic recordings, but many people think it IS Aretha)
  • "Would I Lie To You?" The Eurythmics
WILSON PICKETT
  • "Easy Money" Billy Joel
STEVIE WONDER
  • "Hyperactive" Thomas Dolby
THE DOORS
  • "Golden Brown" The Stranglers
 BEE GEES
  • "Toast and Marmalade" Tin Tin
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
  • "Long Cool Woman On a Black Dress" The Hollies
LED ZEPPELIN
  • "Working Man" Rush
  • "Rock Me" Great White
  • "Get It On" Kingdom Come
  • "Woman" Wolfmother
HUMBLE PIE
  • "7 O'Clock" The London Quireboys
JOHN LENNON
  • "Let Me Roll It" Wings
  • "Valotte" Julian Lennon
PAUL McCARTNEY
  • "You're a Very Lovely Woman"  The Merry Go Round
  • "Sky High" Jigsaw
  • "All By Myself" Eric Carmen
NEIL YOUNG
  • "A Horse With No Name" America
  • "Painted Lady" Ian Thomas (Brother of SCTV star Dave Thomas)
THE CARPENTERS
  • "Don't Say You Don't Remember" Beverly Bremers
ROD STEWART (The only male artist to have female clones)
  • "It's a Heartache" Bonnie Tyler
  • "Bette Davis Eyes" Kim Carnes
  • "Run To You" Bryan Adams
DAVID BOWIE
  • "Crush With Eyeliner" R.E.M
ELTON JOHN
  • "Take Your Mama" Scissor Sisters
GARY GLITTER
  • "Jungle Boy" John Eddy
STEELY DAN
  • "Mary's Prayer" Meet Danny Wilson
  • "Motor Town" The Kane Gang
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
  • "The Boys Are Back In Town" Thin Lizzy
  • "Bat Out of Hell" Meatloaf
  • "I Need a Lover" John Cougar (Mellencamp)
  • "This Little Girl" Gary U.S. Bonds (Song was written by Bruce Springsteen)
  • "On the Dark Side" and "Tender Years" John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band
 EMMYLOU HARRIS
  • "Pilot of the Airwaves" Charlie Dore (Australian girl singing about a DJ)
THE SWEET
  • "Talk Dirty To Me" Poison
BILLY JOEL
  • "Ariel" Dean Friedman
JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP
  • "I Wish I Had a Girl" Henry Lee Summer
THE POLICE
  • "Locked Out of Heaven" Bruno Mars
ASIA
  • "When The Heart Rules the Mind" GTR
  • "The Final Countdown" Europe
BILLY IDOL
  • "Don't You (Forget About Me)" Simple Minds (Billy Idol later recorded this)
MADONNA
  • "Born This Way" Lady Gaga
PRINCE
  • "Oh Shelia" Ready For the World

Monday, August 13, 2012

TV THEMES THAT PREDATE THE TV SHOW


Last June, I posted a countdown of my sixty favorite TV theme songs after KYTV's Ethan Forhetz picked his top ten favorite TV theme songs. In my original list, I weeded out songs that predated the TV shows debut.  This list is dedicated to those TV themes that predate the TV show. I also added classical music pieces that were used for TV themes. I didn't number these, but tried to put them in order of recognition.

CSI - “Who Are You” The Who
CSI:Miami - “Won’t Get Fooled Again” The Who
CSI:New York - “Baba O’Reily” The Who
The Golden Girls - “Thank You for Being a Friend” Andrew Gold (Performed by a female singer on TV)
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - “Journey to the Sorcerer” The Eagles (Instrumental)
Absolutely Fabulous - “Wheels On Fire” Brian Auger & Trinity with Julie Driscoll (written by Bob Dylan)
The Wonder Years - “With a Little Help From My Friends” Joe Cocker (Originally by the Beatles)
Married With Children - “Love and Marriage” Frank Sinatra
That 70s Show - “In The Streets” Big Star (Performed by the cast on TV)
The Drew Carey Show - “Cleveland Rocks” Ian Hunter (TV version performed by Presidents of the United States)
Dawson’s Creek - “I Don’t Want To Wait” Paula Cole
The Young Ones - “The Young Ones” Cliff Richard (Performed by the cast - Don't make fun of Cliff)
Crime Story - “Runaway” Del Shannon
Get a Life - “Stand” REM
Joan of Arcadia - “One of Us” Joan Osbourne
Life Goes On - “Ob-da-Di, Ob-La-Da” The Beatles (Performed by the cast on TV)
Party of Five - “Closer To Free” The Bo Deans
Tour of Duty - “Paint It Black” The Rolling Stones
China Beach - “Reflections” The Supremes
Weeds - “Little Boxes” Malvina Reynolds
Bosom Buddies - “My Life” Billy Joel
The Insiders - “Just a Job To Do” Genesis
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (80s series) - “Harlem Nocturne” Randy Brooks Band (Biggest hit version by The Viscounts)
The Match Game (60s version) - “Swinging Safari” Billy Vaughn
Red Skelton Show - “Holiday for Strings” David Rose Orchestra
Ernie Kovacs Show - “Oriental Blues” Tony DeSimone Trio
Benny Hill Show - “Yakety Sax” Boots Randolph
Captain Kangaroo - “Puffin Billy” Melody Light Orchestra
American Bandstand - “Bandstand Boogie” Les Elgart Orchestra (Used until 1969)
Happy Days (1st Season) - “Rock Around the Clock” Bill Haley & the Comets
Cops - “Bad Boys” Inner Circle
The Young and the Restless - “Cotten’s Dream” Perry Botkin Jr. & Barry DeVorzon (From the 1971 movie Bless the Beast and The Children - renamed “Nadia’s Theme” after it was used by ABC to accompany footage of Nadia Comaneci in the 1976 Olympics on Wide World of Sports).
The Avengers - “The Shake” Laurie Johnson (A failed instrumental, Johnson used it as the theme when he took over the scoring of the show during the Emma Peel era)
Make Room For Daddy - “Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)” (Jazzy Instrumental of Irish ballad)
Designing Women - “Georgia On My Mind” Hoggy Charmical (Instrumental version performed by Doc Severinsen)

From the Classics:
The Lone Ranger - “William Tell Overture” Gioachino Rossini
Alfred Hitchcock Presents - “Funeral March of the Marionettes” Charles Gounod
Masterpiece Theater -  "Rondeau" from “Symphonies and Fanfares for the King’s Supper” Jean-Joseph Mouret
Firing Line - “Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Third Movement, Allegro assai” J.S. Bach
Captain Video - “The Flying Dutchman” Richard Wagner
Wings - "Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959, IV. Rondo. Allegretto." Franz Shubert
Monty Python’s Flying Circus - “Liberty Bell March” John Phillip Sousa
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