Friday Featured Track for July 16th
The song that’s been stuck in my brain lately is “Shark in the Water,” a track from British songtress V V Brown’s debut album “Travelling like the Light.” If you are a viewer of TeenNick (as I sheepishly admit I sometimes am), then you know the reason.
The channel has created a music video to promote the new season of their show ”Degrassi: The Next Generation.” Starring the cast and set in a carnival, the spot is an interesting promotional gambit. However, the use of this incredibly catchy song is what really works for me.
I’m embedding the video here. I’m not sure if it makes me want to watch the show, but if their intention was to send people to iTunes, then mission accomplished. See what you think.
—3D
Friday Featured Track for July 9, 2010
The song that has been stuck in my head this week is the Paul Simon song “You Can Call Me Al” from the singer’s 1986 album “Graceland.” Of course, the best thing about the song is the video starring Chevy Chase, so I’ve embedded that here for you to enjoy.
—3D
Friday Featured Track for July 2nd
My featured track for today celebrates our country’s birth. I’m featuring the instrumental classic march “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa. A favorite in parades everywhere, I’m sure it will be played many, many times this weekend.
On a side note, it amazes me that such a stern looking man could create such peppy music. (Note the picture above.)
—3D
Friday Featured Track for June 25, 2010: Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”
A song that has been on my brain quite often this week:
- “Billie Jean,” Michael Jackson, from the blockbuster 1982 album “Thriller.”
It’s hard to imagine, but today marks one year since the King of Pop Michael Jackson died suddenly of a drug-induced cardiac arrest. He was 50 years old.
Time flies.
With all the turmoil and controversy that Jackson both created and endured in his lifetime, it’s not surprising that we still don’t have all the answers when it comes to his life and death.
Although my deep admiration of his talent had been eroded by his increasingly bizarre behavior in what turned out to be his later years, it would be a shame to let the first anniversary of his death slip by without a tribute to his music, the positive contribution to the world that he left behind.
In Jackson’s memory, I’m climbing into the wayback machine to the early 1980s, seemingly a simpler time in the personal history of the King of Pop, to spotlight my all-time favorite Jackson song: “Billie Jean.” When the single was released in 1983, I was far too young to understand the lyrics, I just knew that it sounded amazing and the now-iconic video was absolutely incredible. And so it remains today.
-BAM
Special Friday Featured Track for June 25, 2010: Welcome to the world, Baby McDonnell
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Happy Birthday,” Steppenwolf, from the 1969 album “At Your Birthday Party.”
Every year for my birthday, my dad has played this lovely, soulful song for me, either in person or over the phone. He’s been playing it for me on my birthday since before I can even remember, making it even more a part of my turning one year older than cake, presents or greeting cards.
Today isn’t my birthday; that’s back in April.
But if all goes to plan, it will be my daughter’s.
Yes, I’m due to have a baby girl today, and I hope that the warm and positive thoughts of loyal BAM’s Blog readers are with my family and me on this most special day.
While I’m on maternity leave, my capable contributing bloggers will be keeping you up to date on the entertainment news, and I’ll be back before you know it. Happy summer!
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for June 18, 2010: “If I Were a Boy”
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “If I Were a Boy,” sung by Reba McEntire or Beyonce Knowles.
CMT today debuted nine new music videos, including Oklahoma native Reba McEntire’s soulful countrified performance of “If I Were a Boy.”
The song initially was a hit for R&B star Beyonce, who released it as the co-lead single, along with the smash “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” for her 2008 album “I Am… Sasha Fierce.”
Reba performed the pop hit for her episode of the CMT series “Unplugged,” which aired back in spring.
Both divas are talented enough to be known on a first-name-only basis, and I think both versions of the song are worthy of carrying around inside your brain for several days.
- BAM
Friday Featured Track for June 11, 2010: Lady Antebellum’s “Lookin’ for a Good Time”
Lady Antebellum performs Wednesday at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn. (Associated Press photo)
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Lookin’ for a Good Time,” Lady Antebellum, from the band’s 2008 self-titled debut album.
It’s been a huge week for country music trio Lady Antebellum. Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood won the group video the year award at Wednesday’s CMT Music Awards and helped open the CMA Music Festival on Thursday. They will open for Tim McGraw Sunday at Oklahoma City’s Zoo Amphitheatre.
It’s a good time to be Lady A, so “Lookin’ for a Good Time” seems like an appropriate pick for today’s FFT.
Plus, I reviewed “Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles,” also playing Oklahoma City this week, so the song’s Beatlemania retro style fits my general mood. Click here to see the video.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for June 4, 2010: Farewell to Rue McClanahan
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Thank You for Being a Friend,” the theme song from “The Golden Girls.”
The entertainment world has been mourning this week the death of Oklahoma-born and bred actress Rue McClanahan, best known for playing sexually liberated Southern vixen Blanche on the hit ’80s and ’90s sitcom “The Golden Girls.” The Healdton native died early Thursday after suffering a stroke. She was 76.
Since the sad news broke, I’ve been unable to get the theme song to “The Golden Girls” out of my head. I remember so clearly watching that show as a kid, and deep in the recesses of my mind, I knew every word to “Thank You for Being a Friend” that ran over the opening credits sequence.
According to Wikipedia, Andrew Gold wrote the song and recorded it for his third album, “All This and Heaven Too.” The single version reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978. Cynthia Fee recorded the version used as “The Golden Girls” theme.
So, in honor of McClanahan and co-star Betty White, the last living “Golden Girl,” take a tuneful trip in the way-back machine, courtesy YouTube.
Warning: I’ve been reminded in the last 24 hours that once this song gets lodged in your gray matter, it’s nearly impossible to dislodge. I’m sure I’ll be hearing it well into the weekend, or until a different song gets stuck in there.
-BAM
Friday Featured Track: Brooks & Dunn and Billy Gibbons do the “Honky Tonk Stomp”
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “Honky Tonk Stomp,” Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons, from the duo’s 2009 compilation album “#1′s…And Then Some.”
We’re wrapping up Brooks & Dunn Week here on BAM’s Blog as the soon-to-split duo of former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn and Louisiana native Kix Brooks are bringing their “Last Rodeo Tour” to Tulsa’s BOK Center at 7:30 tonight with special guest Jason Aldean.
Between Sunday night’s great TV special “ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo” to the anticipation about tonight’s show, it’s been hard not to have Brooks & Dunn on the brain this week. But all red dirt roads on this busy Oklahoma weekend seem to point to the musical partners, who are going their separate ways after their farewell tour this summer.
For instance, former-pop-star-turned-country-singer Darius Rucker is playing a show Sunday night at Norman’s Riverwind Casino. In the taped ACM TV special, Rucker shared how Brooks & Dunn were the first country stars who let him open for them when he made the transition to country. His first big country show took place – that’s right – in Oklahoma at Miami’s Buffalo Run Casino. In an interview this week, Rucker shared with me that Kix and Ronnie will always have a special place in his heart for giving him that first show.
In another strange coincidence, ZZ Top also is playing an Oklahoma show this jam-packed weekend: The Texas trio is headlining Pryor’s Rocklahoma on Saturday. ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons played on Brooks & Dunn’s 50th and final single as a duo: “Honky Tonk Stomp.”
In honor of country concurrences and Brooks & Dunn’s final ride through Oklahoma, do the “Honky Tonk Stomp.”
-BAM
Friday Featured Track for May 21, 2010: The Heavy, “How You Like Me Now?”
The song that has been on my brain the most this week:
- “How You Like Me Now?,” The Heavy, from the band’s 2009 album “The House That Dirt Built.”
Like everyone else on the TV-owning planet, I first heard this song from British neo-soul rockers The Heavy in the Kia Sorento ad from the 2010 Super Bowl. You know the one: It features the rich fantasy life of a sock monkey, one of the “Yo Gabba Gabba” gang and other children’s toys who have been left in the backseat of the SUV. If they could just push the start button, they would be cruising to Vegas, partying in clubs and getting tats.
Not only does the commercial remain in frequent rotation on virtually every channel on cable TV, the song is just an incredibly infectious throwback to the 1960s and ’70s.
If you think that one-minute snippet is good, the full version is even better.
-BAM
