Month: June 2014

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 143 – “You Sexy Thing”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 143: A song beginning with the word “you”.

“You Sexy Thing” – Hot Chocolate

YouSexyThingThis song had a resurgence in the 90s when it was featured in The Full Monty, and then a short while later when it was featured in, of all things, a Burger King ad.

But I remember it from shortly after its initial release in 1975.

You see, this one was another one of my brother’s 45s. And I remember hearing it in the bedroom we shared on Campbell Rd. in Willoughby, Ohio. (And, of course, after that, as well.)

That house is long gone, but the song remains. (Which is probably how it should be.) Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 142 – “What Does My Girl Say”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 142: Your favorite parody song.

“What Does My Girl Say” – SNL Cast with Kerry Washington

What Does My Girl SayI feel a little bit like a cheating lover.

You see, I grew up listening to “Weird Al” Yankovic. The first two albums I ever bought on vinyl were both “Weird Al” albums.

So to choose something other than a “Weird Al” song as my favorite parody song seems very wrong. Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 141 – “Second Hand News”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 141: Your favorite song by a band/artist whose name begins with “F”.

“Second Hand News” – Fleetwood Mac

Second Hand NewsI’ve got a knack for knowing if I’m going to really like a song the first time I hear it. I’m not perfect at it, as my love of “All Mixed Up” and “Mama” will show. But I’m right more than I’m wrong.

And then there are those times when I hear a song and I know I love it immediately. Like “Odds Are.” And “What About Everything?” And “Hollywood.”

And “Second Hand News.”

I was born just a little too late to have experienced the hoopla around Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Like every sentient being that was alive in 1977, though, I was aware of songs like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way” and “Don’t Stop.” Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 140 – “A”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 140: The first song alphabetically in your iPod/iTunes.

“A” – Barenaked Ladies

Maybe You Should DriveAs you may know, I try to balance out the number of posts written about songs by my favorite bands, otherwise Genesis and The Cars would be in about 62 point font in the tag cloud below. Barenaked Ladies wouldn’t be far behind. But, there’s nothing I can do about this one. My hands are tied.

“A” came to my attention when I acquired Rock Spectacle (pronounced like “Rock Spectack” for some reason), which is their first live album. BNL were one of the first bands to embrace the fact that people were listening to CDs on their computers (God, that’s so… 90s), and thus they were among the first to put CD-ROM exclusive material on their CDs. Read More

365 Day Song Challenge: Day 139 – “Trains”

Posted on by Joe Parker

Day 139: The last song you heard.

“Trains” – The Vapors

New Clear DaysI think it was about 1983 when I finally became aware of “Turning Japanese.” And it was probably 1988 or so before I actually got around to taping my brother’s copy of New Clear Days.

That tape got heavy rotation in the car during my senior year of high school. By then, virtually no one on earth cared about the Vapors anymore. But to me the whole album was a little gem. Loved it.

And it remains among my favorite albums. Strangely, I recently picked up a reissue and discovered that the track list that I knew and loved was not the version that was originally released in the UK. Read More