Eddie Vedder!

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“There’s a close race in Washington State…it’s called Referendum 74. It’s about the right for same sex marriages to take place. We’d like to dedicate this one to couples that are in love, no matter what — of the same sex, of the opposite sexes, or tons of sex.” – Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, introducing the band’s song “Just Breathe” at a 2012 concert.

Referendum 74 was put to the voters to decide if a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in that state should be upheld. The measure passed with 53.7% of the vote. Just after midnight on December 9, 2012, legally-recognized same-sex weddings took place.

Today is Eddie Vedder’s 50th birthday. Here are twenty of his best.

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Winston + Bee Gees

Maurice and Robin Gibb

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Winston + Bee Gees

Lead vocals on most of the Bee Gees’ hits were handled by Barry Gibb; however, some were sung by his younger brother Robin, while Robin’s twin, Maurice, occasionally took the role on album tracks.

Though not the lead singers, Robin and Maurice co-wrote most of the trio’s hits with Barry. They also did a lot of extracurricular producing and writing.

Marking the birthday of Robin and Maurice Gibb, today’s playlist consist of Bee Gees tracks on which one of them sang lead, plus outside recordings Robin and/or Maurice worked on. As much of their work for other acts was done with their older brother, I steered clear of duplicating songs that were on the playlist for Barry Gibb’s birthday.

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A Soulful Christmas Playlist

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TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the first woman to hit the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with a song she wrote herself?

ANSWER: Carla Thomas. She was 16 years old when she wrote “Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes),” which hit #10 in 1961. Today she turns 72.

In 1963, Thomas incorporated the title of her first hit into a seasonal offering, “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas.”

“Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas” inspires today’s playlist – fifty great soul and r&b Christmas jams, with some fun extra treats thrown in.

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Let’s Sing About Sex

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Today is the 57th birthday of English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg. My favorite song of his is “Sexuality,” a #2 US Modern Rock hit from 1991. Co-written with The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, “Sexuality” is, as described by Wayne Studer in his book Rock on the Wild Side, “a bouncy, ringing celebration of healthy, open-minded live-and-let-live attitudes about the human body and human relationships.” Singing “your laws do not apply to me” and “I demand equality,” this is a protest song that remains relevant 20+ years later.

In celebration of “Sexuality,” today’s playlist consists of twenty songs with the word sex or some variant thereof in the title. Get down!

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Ringo + Limahl

It’s Limahl’s Birthday And I Need To Dance!

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Ringo + Limahl
Young Chris Hamill was not popular at school. Expelled for disrupting class, the teen boy transferred to a new school, where the kids pointed out his effeminacy. Always the last one picked in sports, Hamill’s confidence level dropped. Discovering he was gay didn’t help. Unhappy at school, he became a loner, escaping into his music.

After leaving school Hamill pursued acting. He landed a few roles, but music was where his passion truly lied. Hamill reinvented himself. He rearranged the letters of his last name and became Limahl, the cutieface pop singer. He was recruited by a band named Art Nouveau. With Limahl on board, the group changed their name to KajaGooGoo.

While working as a waiter at London’s Embassy Club, Limahl met Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran. He gave Rhodes the group’s demo tape. Rhodes took it to his record label, EMI, who signed them.

In January 1983, EMI released the group’s Rhodes-produced debut single, “Too Shy.” It went to #1 in the UK and reached #5 in the US. At this time, Limahl kept his sexual orientation secret. “I wasn’t embarrassed about being gay, but my role as Limahl, my pop star role, had to be more enigmatic. I didn’t want to start talking about gay sex and gays in 1983 when most of our following was teenage girls.”

While “Too Shy” was on the US charts, the band completed a successful tour playing to 40,000 people in Finland. The following day, Limahl was fired from the group by its other members. About Limahl, KajaGooGoo guitarist Steve Askew said “His lifestyle is so different from ours. We’re very normal people whereas Limahl likes the bright lights.” Limahl, shocked by his dismissal, felt he was let go for being too cute and turning the group into a pop band solely for teens.

Following his sacking from KajaGooGoo, Limahl had a solo hit in 1985 with the theme from the film The NeverEnding Story. That song will kick off the dance playlist for today, Limahl’s 56th birthday.

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Winston + Keef

Keith Richards Is An A@@hole

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Winston + Keef
Keith Richards is an a@@hole. I came to that conclusion after reading the book Life, by Keith Richards.

His autobiography is a good read, especially if you’re a Rolling Stones fan, as I am. Most of the songs have held up well decades later, and learning how they came to be grabbed my interest.

However, the constant referring to women as bitches and the reference to Studio 54 as “a room full of faggots in boxer shorts” (and your beef is what, exactly?) reduced my regard for the guitar legend.

Worst of all is the complaining about Mick Jagger. Richards resents Jagger’s controlling the band, especially as the eighties began, but Richards spent the seventies as a junkie. Someone with a clearer mind had to take care of group. Richards didn’t want The Rolling Stones to indulge Jagger’s desire to create more dance-influenced music, and then he became incensed that Jagger records a solo album where he can do that music. Mick shouldn’t be allowed to create his art as he sees fit? And he’s the controlling one?

While Keith’s book put me firmly on Team Mick (should I have to choose sides), the truth is the two need each other. Neither Mick’s albums or Keith’s albums away from the Stones are must-haves. Together, they’ve created classics.

Keith Richards is an a@@hole. Fine. I won’t hang out with him. I’ll still enjoy his music.

Today Keith turns 71 years old. Today’s playlist consists of twenty great Stones tracks.

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The Dancing Queen

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“I always try to dance when this song comes on because I am the Queen and I like to dance.” – Queen Elizabeth on ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” as quoted by BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans

I don’t know if Queen Elizabeth actually said that, but that woman does love to dance. I should know. I went with her to The Roxy one time.

It was in 1992, I think. I had plans to go the The Roxy one Saturday night with my friend Frank, who got us on the guest list. At around 9 PM we met up with some of Frank’s friends at someone’s apartment. I was introduced to Steve, Byron, Fallopia, Rich, Tom, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II, and Katie, who were all sitting around the living room chatting. Someone came out of the kitchen with something called Special K, which theretofore I thought was a breakfast cereal. Turns out it’s a horse tranquilizer that some folks used before heading off to the dance club. I don’t understand the thought process behind taking such a drug. “Before I dance, I need to take something that would sedate a 1000-pound animal.” I don’t think so.

I said “No thank you” to the drug, as did Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. She and I slipped out of the living room into a bedroom, where we sat on the hard wood floor and had a long, deep conversation about our lives at that moment. She said “I know we just met, but I feel I can be honest with you. I’m having a shitty year. Andy and Sarah split up. Anne and Mark divorced. Music has always been my refuge, but I’m bored by the scene these days. I like some of that rave music, but I am over Simply Red. Move on already! And those Erasure covers of ABBA are fun, but they don’t hold a candle to the original versions. Did you know ABBA wrote ‘Dancing Queen’ about me? I am the dancing queen!” Then she started singing “I can dance, I can jive.”

I started to tell her we were in agreement about everything she said. “Your royal highness Queen Elizabeth II, I –“, but she cut me off.

“There is no need to be so formal. Call me Lizzy.”

Fallopia came in the room and told us it was time to get going. We got to The Roxy and went up to the doorman. He checked off my name from his list; however, Her Royal High-, I mean, Lizzy didn’t have any ID on her. I argued with the doorman. “Of course this is the real Elizabeth II! How many other people in a gown and wearing a tiara do you see here??” He motioned for me to look around. Sure enough, there were at least a dozen men dressed in gowns wearing tiaras. I loaned Lizzy $15 to get in after finally convincing the doorman that she was over 21.

When we got inside Lizzy said to me “Ah, The Roxy. I heard this is where all the dancing queens go. Tee hee!” She was so amused by her joke. I thought it was hack material.

The night we were there CeCe Peniston was scheduled to perform. “If she sings ‘Finally’ I’m going to lose my shit!,” the Queen said to me.

“Lizzy – she’s going to sing ‘Finally.’ She’s CeCe Peniston. What else would she sing? ‘In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida?’”

Sure enough, when CeCe started singing “Meeting Mr. Right, the man of my dreams…,” Lizzy went bananas. She screamed and threw her crown in the air. A bunch of shirtless muscular guys carried her around the club, while she screamed “Ooh ooh, party over here! Ooh ooh, party over there!”

After CeCe’s twenty-minute set Lizzy yelled to the DJ “Oi! Play ‘Dancing Queen!’” I told her they don’t play songs like that on the main floor and led her to a small room at the end of the club.

“Here you may hear Abba.”

“I love me some Abba,” she said. “I especially like the songs where they repeat words. ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,’ ‘On and On and On,”‘Honey Honey,’ ‘I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do,’ ‘Money Money Money.’” She started singing the latter very loud. “If I had a little money, it’s a rich man’s world.” She ran around the room singing this, annoying the people who were trying to enjoy dancing to a Grease medley. A guy said to me “Hey – you better control your woman!”

I took the Queen by the hand and led her from the club. “Okay, Lizzy. We have to get you into a taxi.”

The cabs were lined up outside the club. I put her in one while she kept singing “I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay / Ain’t it sad / And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me / That’s too bad.”

“Where to?,” asked the driver. I realized I didn’t know where the Queen was staying while in New York.

“Lizzy! Stop singing for a moment and tell the driver where to take you!”

“Oh, I’m staying at a youth hostel somewhere on 14th Street. Just drive and I’ll point it out when I see it. In my dreams I have a plan. If I got me a wealthy man…I wouldn’t have to work at all, I’d fool around and have a ball.”

Months later I received a postcard. “My dearest Glenn – Chuck and Di split up. Can’t say I’m surprised. It’s the perfect ending to this annus horribilis. (That means horrible year, not something gay! Tee hee!) Still, I keep twirling! I’ll catch you in the new year! xoxo, Lizzy ♥ ♥ ♥”

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Today is the birthday of one of the members of ABBA who isn’t female, Benny Andersson. Here are twenty of the group’s best.

(For Lizzy, who still owes me $15.)

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It Never Rains In Southern California

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As you may have heard, our sleepy little hamlet of Los Angeles got some rain over the past week. I assume you heard this because Los Angeles is the center of the world and our weather is likely reported everywhere, especially when we get rain, which lesser cities take for granted. More rain is forecast for this week.

If you were near a radio in the United States in 1972, you heard Albert Hammond’s hit single “It Never Rains in Southern California,” and learned that while in L.A. it never rains, it pours. Man, it pours.

Today’s playlist consists of songs with word rain or some variation thereof in the title. It includes Albert Hammond’s “It Never Rains in Southern California,” one of two top forty singles Hammond had as an artist. (The other was 1974’s “I’m a Train.” Remember that one? Didn’t think so.) As a songwriter, Hammond’s hits include The Hollies’ “The Air That I Breathe,” Leo Sayer’s “When I Need You,” Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time,” Chicago’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love,” Ace of Base’s “Don’t Turn Around,” Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson’s “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” and The Pipkins’ “Gimme Dat Ding.” His son is a founding member of The Strokes.

Back to the weather. Get your umbrella and enjoy today’s playlist while the sun is still shining.

Ringo + Sheila E

It’s Sheila E’s Birthday And I Need To Dance!

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Prince wrote the song “The Glamorous Life” for the Apollonia 6 album. According to Apollonia, he wrote the song about her. Per Nilsen, who has written a couple of book about Prince, quotes Apollonia as saying “He used to make all these stupid jokes, ‘You’re the kind of chick who would wear a mink coat in the summertime.’ To this day I don’t have my own mink coat!”

Prince ended up giving the song to Sheila E. for her debut solo album. Prior to meeting Prince Sheila worked with Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Billy Cobham, Jeffrey Osborne, Con Funk Shun, and her dad, Pete Escovedo.

In 1984 “The Glamorous Life” hit #7 on the pop chart, #9 on the r&b chart, and #1 on the dance chart.

Ringo + Sheila E
Today Sheila E. turns 57 years old. We kick off our weekly dance party with her first hit single.

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Winston + Brenda Lee

Old Time Rock & Roll Xmas, With Jews!

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In 1958, 13-year-old Brenda Mae Tarpley went into a recording studio with famed producer Owen Bradley and cut “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree,” written by Johnny Marks (Jew!). Released as a single for that year’s holiday season, it bombed. That really isn’t surprising. Tarpley, better known by her stage name, Brenda Lee, was virtually unknown at the time.

In 1959, her record label reissued the single. It bombed. That really isn’t surprising. Lee hadn’t dented Billboard’s Hot 100 all year.

In 1960, her record company released it yet again. Third time lucky. Coming off two #1 singles, “I’m Sorry” and “I Want to Be Wanted,” plus two other top ten hits, “Sweet Nothin’s” and “That’s All You Gotta Do,” Lee’s Christmas record peaked at #14.

Winston + Brenda Lee
For years the hits kept coming for Lee. She placed 55 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100, including twelve top tens. These days she is perhaps best-remembered for “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree,” a holiday staple.

Johnny Marks, the Jew who wrote the song, also wrote “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Holly Jolly Christmas,” and “Run Rudolph Run.”

He’s not the only Jew to have written Christmas standards. Also written by chosen people? “White Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Santa Baby,” “Sleigh Ride,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow,” “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “Give the Jew Girl Toys.” Oy gevalt!

Today Brenda Lee turns 70 years old. Our playlist today includes her classic version of “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” as well as nineteen other holiday tunes from the early days of rock and roll, before The Beatles took over the United States in 1964. Some were written by Jews, some were not. Some get a lot of radio airplay this time of year, some deserve more (specifically “Christmas in Jail” and “Trim Your Tree.”). All put me in the mood to rock around my menorah.

More holiday music can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

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