Tunes Du Jour Presents Pretenders

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Pretenders are a band that has defied easy categorization while consistently delivering music that resonates with listeners across generations. Led by the indomitable Chrissie Hynde, their catalog is a testament to both resilience and innovation. Whether it’s the raw energy of “Tattooed Love Boys” or the introspective melancholy of “2000 Miles,” the Pretenders have a knack for balancing punk grit with pop sensibility, making their music both accessible and thought-provoking.

One of the band’s enduring qualities is its ability to blend vulnerability with strength. Tracks like “Back on the Chain Gang” and “I’ll Stand By You” showcase Hynde’s lyrical depth, where personal loss and steadfast loyalty coalesce into powerful anthems. Even a lighter, upbeat track like “Don’t Get Me Wrong” subtly hints at the complexity of relationships, never reducing them to mere surface-level emotions. This duality—at once tough and tender—is a hallmark of Hynde’s songwriting, giving their music a timeless appeal.

Collaborations further highlight Hynde’s versatility. Her work with UB40 on “I Got You Babe” and with Cher and Neneh Cherry on “Love Can Build A Bridge” demonstrates her ability to seamlessly move between genres, lending her distinct voice to reggae and pop singles with equal flair. These collaborations also underscore Hynde’s adaptability, as she continued to evolve without losing her core identity.

Songs like “Brass in Pocket” and “Precious” capture the raw defiance of the Pretenders’ early days, marked by punk influences and a DIY spirit. Yet, as the years went on, tracks like “Hymn to Her” and “Night in My Veins” show a maturation, both musically and lyrically, as the band embraced more layered compositions and reflective themes. Even amidst the evolving musical landscape, the Pretenders maintained their unique voice, never pandering to trends but instead carving out their own distinct path.

Ultimately, the Pretenders’ body of work is a reflection of Chrissie Hynde’s singular vision—fearlessly honest, emotionally nuanced, and always grounded in the realities of life. From punk-infused tracks to poignant ballads, they have built a legacy that remains as relevant today as it was in their early days. It’s this combination of sincerity and musical innovation that keeps their music fresh and vital.

A Neil Diamond Playlist

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Today Tunes du Jour pays homage to Neil Diamond (b. January 24, 1941). Included in today’s playlist are hits Diamond had as a performer, songs of his that were hits for other artists, and “The Pot Smoker’s Song” and “Reggae Strut,” because I think you need to be aware of them, the latter sounding like it wasn’t written by the guy who espoused the views of the former.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (2-16-20)

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Inspired by the February 16 birthdays of The Weeknd, Danielle Haim, Lupe Fiasco, Ice-T, Duck Sauce’s Armand van Helden, Sonny Bono, 808 State’s Gerald Simpson, and songwriter Otis Blackwell, whose compositions include “Don’t Be Cruel,” “All Shook Up,” Handyman,” “Great Balls Of Fire,” and “Return to Sender,” and the February 15 birthdays of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, Melissa Manchester, UB40’s Ali Campbell, Megan Thee Stallion, Denny Zager, and Olivia.

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Ringo + Neil Diamond

Ten Facts About Neil Diamond

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Ringo + Neil Diamond
1) “Sweet Caroline” has been played during every Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park since 2002. Over the past couple of years it has been played in tribute to the city of Boston and those directly affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.
2) The Monkees’ cover of Diamond’s “I’m a Believer” was the biggest hit of 1966 in the US. It remained at #1 for seven weeks. The Monkees also had a hit with Diamond’s “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You.” Other hit versions of Diamond compositions include UB40’s “Red Red Wine,” Deep Purple’s “Kentucky Woman” and Jay & the Americans’ “Sunday and Me.”
3) In 1977 Diamond released a solo version of a song he wrote entitled “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” Shortly after, Barbra Streisand released her version of the song. An employee at a Kentucky radio station spliced the two versions together, creating a virtual duet. An official release of a duet version by Columbia Records, for whom both artists recorded, resulted in a #1 record. It was produced by Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons.
4) “Solitary Man” was Diamond’s first charting single as a performer. In 2005 Rolling Stone magazine called it Diamond’s best, saying “There’s not a wasted word or chord in this two-and-a-half minute anthem of heartbreak and self-affirmation, which introduced the melancholy loner persona that he’s repeatedly returned to throughout his career.”
5) He starred in the 1980 version of the film The Jazz Singer, for which he was a nominee for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and the winner of the Razzie for Worst Actor. The film’s soundtrack became Diamond’s best-selling album and spawned three top ten singles: “Love on the Rocks,” “Hello Again” and bad song I love “America.”
6) “Cracklin’ Rosie” is slang used by a Canadian Indian tribe for a bottle of wine. The tribe had more men than women, so the men that didn’t get a girl got with Cracklin’ Rosie. The song “Cracklin’ Rosie” became Diamond’s first #1 single as a performer.
7) “Heartlight” was inspired by the film E.T., The Extraterrestrial.
8) Urge Overkill’s version of Diamond’s “Girl, You‘ll Be a Woman Soon” became a hit on the Modern Rock chart due to its inclusion in Quentin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction. Diamond initially withheld the right for Tarantino to use the song in the film as he found the script too violent.
9) In the mid-sixties Diamond was working on a song he called “Money Money.” The head of his record label, Bert Berns, and songwriter Jeff Barry convinced him to change the title to something more teen-friendly. The result became Diamond’s first top ten single as a performer, “Cherry, Cherry.”
10) It took Diamond four months to write “I Am…I Said,” my favorite song about hearing-impaired furniture.

Today Diamond turns 74. Here is your Diamond Day soundtrack.

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