Cover Versions of Popular Songs in the Key of Bass
As a Bass/Baritone singer, there’s a lot of songs I’d like to sing that are just too high in their original key. So… Welcome to Joe’s Bassment! Where I sing a popular song in a lower key.
This week’s song is “I Can’t Tell You Why” originally by The Eagles.
Enjoy!
Here at Joe’s Dump, we’ve got a lot of music going on…
So, to help keep it all organized and handy, we’ve added a new Music Menu Item (at the top of every page)
A few of the articles you’ll find there include:
… Plus: Personal Profiles, Politics, Parodies, and plenty more!!!
Music Trivia Two-fer
This week, I’ve also got two trivia stories about some surprising back-stories to popular songs.
First up: You Don’t Bring Me Flowers (duet by Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand)
Did you know that this famous duet came from a radio program director’s divorce?
Neil Diamond recorded the song first in 1977 as a solo, followed by Barbra Streisand’s solo version in 1978. This is where WAKY-AM/Louisville KY program director, Gary Guthrie, comes in. He spliced together a duet version as a parting present to his wife after their divorce. His version became so popular that the record label got Diamond and Streisand to record an official version that was released in the fall of 1978!
(Click here to read the full story on Wikipedia)
… and here’s Gary Guthrie’s mixed version on American Top 40:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmjKMiBShVk
And second: Mike Sammes – the backup singer for Olivia Newton John’s “Let Me Be There”
The bass part in “Let Me Be There” by Olivia Newton John is so prominent, I’d almost classify the song as a duet. Out of curiosity, I checked into who the bass singer was. His name was Mike Sammes, and his credits are amazing. He also sang backup on The Beatles “I Am The Walrus”, and for the TV show “Supercar”.
(Click here to read Mike Sammes full bio on Wikipedia)
… and here’s “Let Me Be There” for your listening pleasure:
Enjoy!
Joe
In honor of Meat Loaf‘s upcoming birthday on Sept. 27th (Happy Birthday Mr. Loaf!!!)…
Today I’d like to dissect his song “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad“.
It’s a great rock ballad from 1977. Packed with deep emotions and hidden meaning, it strikes a chord in me every time I hear it.
But what if we look at it from a few different perspectives:
Here’s how the song is seen in each of these cases:
Have you ever been in a situation where everything just seemed to “click”?
You’re at the right place, right time, and everything feels… Right!
Like a perfect storm of awesome!
Well, this isn’t about that.
It’s about the opposite.
How do you know when you’re the wrong man for the job?
Let’s look at a recent example (imho) from the media…
Last month, Bob Dylan released his new album “Shadows in the Night“, a collection of 10 show tunes (mostly), previously sung by Frank Sinatra.
Bob Dylan. Show Tunes. Frank Sinatra.
What could possibly go wrong? Continue reading
(Nov. 16, 1931 – Dec. 4, 2011)
I must confess that my knowledge of Hubert Sumlin, the legendary blues guitarist from Chicago, was pretty much non-existent. In his lifetime, his music has inspired many people and bands that I greatly admire. Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, and the list just keeps on going.
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Video Games Live (www.videogameslive.com) is a multi-media show featuring video game music sung live by a choir with music performed by a symphony orchestra. There are interactive segments with the audience, guest directors from the game companies, synchronized videos, trivia, prizes, and much more. Truly an exciting concert!
Continue reading