Still even more holiday music!
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Tunes Du Jour Celebrates International Left-Handers Day
Happy International Left-Handers Day! 🖐
Did you know that in the 1600s, lefties were suspected of witchcraft? Fast forward to today, and we’re still navigating a world designed for righties. From scissors to can openers, life’s full of little challenges for the left-handed among us.
Even language hasn’t been kind – check a thesaurus and you might find some surprisingly negative synonyms for “left-handed.” (Have you ever been accused of giving a left-handed compliment?) But lefties in good company! Some of the world’s most creative minds have been southpaws.
To celebrate this most important of holidays, I’ve put together a playlist featuring 30 incredible left-handed musicians. From rock legends to pop icons, these artists have left their mark on music history.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 12-12-23
Is technology ruining music? I’ll answer that with another question: If we had GPS in the 1960s, would we have gotten “Do You Know The Way To San José?” If you request Alexa to play “Do You Know The Way To San José” by merely stating its title, would Alexa play it or ramble on about making a left here and bearing right there, which would make for a real crap song? When presented with “Do You Know The Way To San José” by its writers, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Dionne Warwick was not taken by it. “What is this whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa crap?” she asked. I’m paraphrasing. She eventually came around, for decades later she said that winning the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her recording of that song was the highlight of her career.
Dionne Warwick was born on this date in 1940. Lots of songs performed by her are included on today’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-1-23
In 1993, humor columnist Dave Barry surveyed his readers to find the worst song. The clear winner for Worst Overall Song and Worst Lyrics was “Mac Arthur Park.” Culture critic Joe Queenan disagreed with the results “because ‘Ebony and Ivory’ exists, as do ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,’ ‘Baby, I’m-a Want You,’ ‘Feelings,’ ‘Benny and the Jets,’ ‘Witchy Woman’ and ‘Sussudio,’” adding “On a planet where somebody thought it would be a good idea to write ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,’ the best ‘MacArthur Park’ is ever going to earn in the sucky-song sweepstakes is a tie.”
The late Richard Harris was born on this date in 1930. Celebrate his birthday with a piece of soggy cake and by listening to today’s playlist, which includes the song many hate.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (12-7-20)
Inspired by the season and the December 7 birthdays of Tom Waits, All Saints’ Nicole Appleton, Louis Prima, and Harry Chapin.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (6-10-20)
Inspired by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 10 birthdays of The Shirelles’ Shirley Owens, The Breeders’ Kim & Kelly Deal, Howlin’ Wolf, Judy Garland, Faith Evans, Fat Boys’ Darren Robinson, Jodeci’s JoJo and Broadway composer Frederick Loewe.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (5-18-20)
Inspired by the May 18 birthdays of Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, Rick Wakeman, Butch Tavares, Robert Morse, Big Joe Turner, Rob Base, Ezio Pinza, George Strait, Martika, Enigma’s Michael Cretu, Albert Hammond, Perry Como, Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall, the Rubettes’ Paul DaVinci, Jack Johnson, and Broadway composer Meredith Willson.
The Ultimate Christmas Playlist
Today is the day after Thanksgiving here in the United States of America. You’re officially allowed to start listening to holiday music now. To get you started, I compiled a playlist of what I consider to be 100 of the best Christmas songs. Okay, 98 songs, a stand-up routine and a skit. It’s a mix of standards, versions of standards with which you may not be familiar, and obscure but delightful tunes.
Enjoy!
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