Music Labyrinth Episode 005
Track 1
The Lion, The Beast, The Beat - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Hello, and welcome back to episode 5 of The Music Labyrinth. If you have not managed to become lost with us before, please feel free to jump right in. What we have been doing is wandering with VERY limited guidance through the labyrinth of modern music. Our only guide on the journey has been some – often controversial – claims that each song we encounter will have some association with the previous. We commenced this episode, as always, with where we concluded the last. On this occasion, that was the track The Lion, The Beast, The Beat by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The band was formed in 2002 in Waitsfield, Vermont in the north east of the United States. Wikipedia informs us that the population of Waitsfield is just over 1700 people, and its list of famous alumni is – well – limited. However, we do know that Grace Potter attended St Lawrence University in New York and her band played a student-run venue at that campus, called the Java Barn. As too, did this next artist.
Track 2
Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco
On the Music Labyrinth we just heard the wonderful Ani DiFranco and her 1998 award winning song, Little Plastic Castle. Ani DiFranco has played alongside luminaries of the music industry during her career; she founded her own record label when she was 19 years of age; she has championed important causes and actively campaigned for change. But – we’re ignoring all of that. Ani DiFranco once had a cameo role in the animated sitcom King of the Hill. As did this band.
Track 3
When I Come Around - Green Day
That was, of course, Green Day with When I Come Around. Now, so far on The Music Labyrinth I have tried to mix up the connections between the songs we listen to, in order to avoid locking us into some kind of secondary theme. But, as always, nothing we do here is necessarily logical or consistent. So, on this occasion, I am staying with the animated sitcom theme. When I Come Around also featured in an episode from the 21st season of South Park titled Hummels & Heroin. Also featured in that episode was this band.
Track 4
Two Princes - The Spin Doctors
On The Music Labyrinth we just listened to the 1993 song Two Princes by The Spin Doctors. Two Princes has the questionable record of featuring on a list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90’s and also on a separate list of the 50 Worst Songs Ever. Its probably fair to say the opinion is divided. However, the writers of Sesame Street thought that the song had a message for its audience about the value of sharing, and it was featured in Sesame Street episode 3721. Sesame Street is something of its own Music Labyrinth super-room, but the transition here which caught my eye was a Sesame Street song called Born To Add. You can watch it on YouTube, and I recommend it. But for our purposes, here is the inspiration for it.
Track 5
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band
Of course that was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and the mighty anthem, Born to Run – inspiration and joy for multiple generations which now includes a whole bunch of 5 year olds, thanks to Sesame Street’s adoption of it. In 2005, on the 30th anniversary of the song’s release, Springsteen was quoted as saying, “its embarrassing to want so much, and to expect so much from music, except sometimes it happens – the Sun Sessions, Highway 61, Sgt Peppers, the Band, Robert Johnson, Exile on Main Street, Born to Run – whoops, I meant to leave that one out.” [end quotation] And so, it would be remiss of us not to allow The Boss to establish the course to our next stop in the Labyrinth. Lets move from the Springsteen super-room the to Beatles super-room by way of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Here is the groundbreaking musical pot-purri which is A Day In The Life.
Track 6
A Day In The Life - The Beatles
From Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, that was A Day In The Life by, of course, The Beatles. The final chord which we just heard was a sustained E major played on three different pianos and a harmonium. It has been described by one author as “a forty second meditation on finality” [end quotation]. The album artwork was almost as visually spectacular as the audio content. The front cover contains at least 71 images of notable people including WC Fields, Edgar Allan Poe, Marilyn Monroe, Karl Marx, TE Lawrence and Lewis Carrol. Interestingly, there are only two popular recording artists featured on the album cover. One of them is someone we are certain to encounter later in the Labyrinth, Bob Dylan. The second recording artist featured on the cover of Sgt Pepper was Dion DiMucci, whom you will almost certainly know from this song.
Track 7
The Wanderer - Dion DiMucci
On The Music Labyrinth we just listened to The Wanderer, which was originally shopped around by its writer, before being offered to Dion DiMucci as a B-side to a single called The Majestic. That B-side eventually made its way onto Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Its been covered many times. People of my vintage will almost certainly recall Leif Garrett’s version from 1978, but the list of artists who have had a crack includes Bruce Springsteen, Gary Glitter, Bad Company, The Beach Boys, Dave Edmunds and – to take us to our next track – Status Quo. The Status Quo version of The Wanderer was released as a non-album single in 1984, but I want to posit that their best work was behind them at that point. So, as an illustration of my point, lets go back to the band’s 9th studio album in 1976 and listen to my favourite Quo track. This is Mystery Song.
Track 8
Mystery Song - Status Quo
From the 1976 album Blue For You, that was Mystery Song by Status Quo. I tend to get caught up in the rhythm and melody of the song, and the terrific guitar riffs, but if you give the lyrics of that song some attention it becomes apparent that it is a celebration of the oldest of professions. Now it turns out, and I was surprised by this, that Wikipedia contains a category which it calls “Songs About Prostitutes”. It’s a fun list, and I can see it making its way to a playlist in my library, as it includes terrific songs like House of the Rising Sun, Roxanne, Call Me, Killer Queen, The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp, Walk On The Wild Side and this magnificent soul/disco crossover hit from November 1974.
Track 9
Lady Marmalade - LaBelle
Guiding us through certain seedier sections of the Music Labyrinth, that was Lady Marmalade by LaBelle. The group LaBelle was formed in 1971 when its members Patricia Holt, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash reformed their earlier act, The Blue Belles. It was during the period of the Blue Belles that Patricia Holt changed her name to Patti LaBelle. As Patti, she went on to a greatly distinguished career in music. In 1984 Patti LaBelle contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the Eddie Murphy movie, Beverly Hills Cop. Also from that soundtrack …
Track 10
The Heat Is On - Glenn Frey
On The Music Labyrinth we just listened to The Heat Is On, performed by Glenn Frey. Now the listener is almost certainly aware of Glenn Frey’s long time association with The Eagles, for whom he as a founding member, and an ongoing band member until his death in 2016. That provides an obvious next port of call for our journey but, as we have noted previously, the obvious is not always the chosen path. The Heat Is On was not written by Glenn Frey, but by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey. Two years prior to penning that song, Forsey had been engaged by an Australian artist to co-produce an album which resulted in world wide acclaim and success. From that album, Primitive Man, here is Icehouse with my favourite track from the album, Street Café.
Track 11
Street Cafe - Icehouse
The album Primitive Man began its life, essentially, as a solo project for Iva Davies. He and Forsey played most of the instruments on the recording, which was released as an Icehouse album in September 1982. As the album gained popularity and acclaim, Davies identified the need for a band to go on the road and promote the album. When assembled, that band included the English bassist, Guy Pratt. Some years later, Pratt was engaged by David Gilmour to play live shows with the later incarnation of Pink Floyd, which progressed after the split between Roger Waters and the remainder of the original Pink Floyd. Pratt also contributed to studio albums from that era of Pink Floyd. To round out this episode of The Music Labyrinth, here is Pink Floyd, featuring Guy Pratt on bass, and the track What Do You Want From Me.
The Lion, The Beast, The Beat - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Hello, and welcome back to episode 5 of The Music Labyrinth. If you have not managed to become lost with us before, please feel free to jump right in. What we have been doing is wandering with VERY limited guidance through the labyrinth of modern music. Our only guide on the journey has been some – often controversial – claims that each song we encounter will have some association with the previous. We commenced this episode, as always, with where we concluded the last. On this occasion, that was the track The Lion, The Beast, The Beat by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The band was formed in 2002 in Waitsfield, Vermont in the north east of the United States. Wikipedia informs us that the population of Waitsfield is just over 1700 people, and its list of famous alumni is – well – limited. However, we do know that Grace Potter attended St Lawrence University in New York and her band played a student-run venue at that campus, called the Java Barn. As too, did this next artist.
Track 2
Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco
On the Music Labyrinth we just heard the wonderful Ani DiFranco and her 1998 award winning song, Little Plastic Castle. Ani DiFranco has played alongside luminaries of the music industry during her career; she founded her own record label when she was 19 years of age; she has championed important causes and actively campaigned for change. But – we’re ignoring all of that. Ani DiFranco once had a cameo role in the animated sitcom King of the Hill. As did this band.
Track 3
When I Come Around - Green Day
That was, of course, Green Day with When I Come Around. Now, so far on The Music Labyrinth I have tried to mix up the connections between the songs we listen to, in order to avoid locking us into some kind of secondary theme. But, as always, nothing we do here is necessarily logical or consistent. So, on this occasion, I am staying with the animated sitcom theme. When I Come Around also featured in an episode from the 21st season of South Park titled Hummels & Heroin. Also featured in that episode was this band.
Track 4
Two Princes - The Spin Doctors
On The Music Labyrinth we just listened to the 1993 song Two Princes by The Spin Doctors. Two Princes has the questionable record of featuring on a list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90’s and also on a separate list of the 50 Worst Songs Ever. Its probably fair to say the opinion is divided. However, the writers of Sesame Street thought that the song had a message for its audience about the value of sharing, and it was featured in Sesame Street episode 3721. Sesame Street is something of its own Music Labyrinth super-room, but the transition here which caught my eye was a Sesame Street song called Born To Add. You can watch it on YouTube, and I recommend it. But for our purposes, here is the inspiration for it.
Track 5
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band
Of course that was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and the mighty anthem, Born to Run – inspiration and joy for multiple generations which now includes a whole bunch of 5 year olds, thanks to Sesame Street’s adoption of it. In 2005, on the 30th anniversary of the song’s release, Springsteen was quoted as saying, “its embarrassing to want so much, and to expect so much from music, except sometimes it happens – the Sun Sessions, Highway 61, Sgt Peppers, the Band, Robert Johnson, Exile on Main Street, Born to Run – whoops, I meant to leave that one out.” [end quotation] And so, it would be remiss of us not to allow The Boss to establish the course to our next stop in the Labyrinth. Lets move from the Springsteen super-room the to Beatles super-room by way of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Here is the groundbreaking musical pot-purri which is A Day In The Life.
Track 6
A Day In The Life - The Beatles
From Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, that was A Day In The Life by, of course, The Beatles. The final chord which we just heard was a sustained E major played on three different pianos and a harmonium. It has been described by one author as “a forty second meditation on finality” [end quotation]. The album artwork was almost as visually spectacular as the audio content. The front cover contains at least 71 images of notable people including WC Fields, Edgar Allan Poe, Marilyn Monroe, Karl Marx, TE Lawrence and Lewis Carrol. Interestingly, there are only two popular recording artists featured on the album cover. One of them is someone we are certain to encounter later in the Labyrinth, Bob Dylan. The second recording artist featured on the cover of Sgt Pepper was Dion DiMucci, whom you will almost certainly know from this song.
Track 7
The Wanderer - Dion DiMucci
On The Music Labyrinth we just listened to The Wanderer, which was originally shopped around by its writer, before being offered to Dion DiMucci as a B-side to a single called The Majestic. That B-side eventually made its way onto Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Its been covered many times. People of my vintage will almost certainly recall Leif Garrett’s version from 1978, but the list of artists who have had a crack includes Bruce Springsteen, Gary Glitter, Bad Company, The Beach Boys, Dave Edmunds and – to take us to our next track – Status Quo. The Status Quo version of The Wanderer was released as a non-album single in 1984, but I want to posit that their best work was behind them at that point. So, as an illustration of my point, lets go back to the band’s 9th studio album in 1976 and listen to my favourite Quo track. This is Mystery Song.
Track 8
Mystery Song - Status Quo
From the 1976 album Blue For You, that was Mystery Song by Status Quo. I tend to get caught up in the rhythm and melody of the song, and the terrific guitar riffs, but if you give the lyrics of that song some attention it becomes apparent that it is a celebration of the oldest of professions. Now it turns out, and I was surprised by this, that Wikipedia contains a category which it calls “Songs About Prostitutes”. It’s a fun list, and I can see it making its way to a playlist in my library, as it includes terrific songs like House of the Rising Sun, Roxanne, Call Me, Killer Queen, The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp, Walk On The Wild Side and this magnificent soul/disco crossover hit from November 1974.
Track 9
Lady Marmalade - LaBelle
Guiding us through certain seedier sections of the Music Labyrinth, that was Lady Marmalade by LaBelle. The group LaBelle was formed in 1971 when its members Patricia Holt, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash reformed their earlier act, The Blue Belles. It was during the period of the Blue Belles that Patricia Holt changed her name to Patti LaBelle. As Patti, she went on to a greatly distinguished career in music. In 1984 Patti LaBelle contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the Eddie Murphy movie, Beverly Hills Cop. Also from that soundtrack …
Track 10
The Heat Is On - Glenn Frey
On The Music Labyrinth we just listened to The Heat Is On, performed by Glenn Frey. Now the listener is almost certainly aware of Glenn Frey’s long time association with The Eagles, for whom he as a founding member, and an ongoing band member until his death in 2016. That provides an obvious next port of call for our journey but, as we have noted previously, the obvious is not always the chosen path. The Heat Is On was not written by Glenn Frey, but by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey. Two years prior to penning that song, Forsey had been engaged by an Australian artist to co-produce an album which resulted in world wide acclaim and success. From that album, Primitive Man, here is Icehouse with my favourite track from the album, Street Café.
Track 11
Street Cafe - Icehouse
The album Primitive Man began its life, essentially, as a solo project for Iva Davies. He and Forsey played most of the instruments on the recording, which was released as an Icehouse album in September 1982. As the album gained popularity and acclaim, Davies identified the need for a band to go on the road and promote the album. When assembled, that band included the English bassist, Guy Pratt. Some years later, Pratt was engaged by David Gilmour to play live shows with the later incarnation of Pink Floyd, which progressed after the split between Roger Waters and the remainder of the original Pink Floyd. Pratt also contributed to studio albums from that era of Pink Floyd. To round out this episode of The Music Labyrinth, here is Pink Floyd, featuring Guy Pratt on bass, and the track What Do You Want From Me.