Meghan Trainor is "Takin' It Back"! (Album Review)

For fans of Meghan Trainor's doo wop sound heard in her 2015 album "Title", her newest album has been a long time coming. Her previous non-Christmas album, "Treat Myself", had maybe 3 redeemable tracks on it. As a fan, I had been disappointed, and was wondering when Trainor would return to her roots. Well then, TikTok got involved. Now I don't use TikTok, as I think the platform is rather stupid, but something good happened there. Meghan Trainor's old 2015 song "Title" went viral. It inspired her to return to her roots, and give the people what they wanted. The result is this awesome album, "Takin' it Back". Let's give it a review, shall we?

The album cover is great... and very pink!

The Return of Her Signature Catchy Hooks

"All About That Bass" was the song that catapulted Trainor to fame in 2014, as the song was a huge #1 hit. The music video has over 1 billion views on YouTube. Well, 8 years later, it's safe to say the song has a spiritual successor. That comes in "Made You Look", which currently sits at #63 on the charts. But it just entered, and I predict a massive rise based on its current popularity. The song currently has over 42 million streams on Spotify, by far the most streamed song on this album. I know the hook of the song, my friends know it, and now I can't get it out of my head! In the song, Trainor returns to her positive body image message with this hook:

I could have my Gucci on

I could wear my Louis Vuitton

But even with nothing on

Bet I made you look (I made you look!)

Evidently, these lines were inspired by Trainor's therapist. Trainor felt self-conscious about how her body looked when she was pregnant with her son, Riley. So, her therapist encouraged her to look at herself in the mirror naked for 5 minutes. The result was this song. And if you listen to it a couple times, be careful, because this utterly infectious earworm will be following you! Overall, my verdict on "Made You Look" is very much a positive one. Despite its short length for a modern pop song (2:12), it carries across its message very effectively in that time. I would argue it's better than "All About That Bass". It's only flaw may be that it's just too damn catchy.

Meghan's music video for "Make You Look" has been incorporated in Candy Crush, evidently.

Growth in Songwriting Maturity

When I first listened to Trainor, she was 20 years old... AKA my current age. At 20, I certainly don't feel completely grown up, and she probably wasn't either. Well, Meghan is now 28 going on 29. She has a husband and a son. She's officially grown up, and her lyrics reflect that. Her maturity is reflected on three songs in particular. She has 2-3 fellow songwriters on every song on this album, but her influence is clearest on all 16 of these songs. That includes the album's debut single, "Bad For Me". The song was a flop, but didn't deserve to be. It talks of trying to let go of a toxic relationship and how difficult that could be. The song was perhaps too mature for the pop market to handle. I thought of it as a spiritual successor to "Like I'm Gonna Lose You". That's especially considering it features Teddy Swims, who has a similar soulful voice to John Legend. 

Listen to "Bad For Me". It's good for you!

Then there's the ballad "Rainbow", a very wistful song. I am not sure exactly who she is singing about in this song, but she pens emotional lyrics like "Everyone can see your halo, everybody but you". The general messaging reminds me of her 2014 song "Close Your Eyes", which is my all-time favorite Meghan Trainor song. This song doesn't quite match that level of beauty. But if you want lush harmonies to go along with an uplifting message, listen to "Rainbow". It's a song with a fantastic melody, and yet it's not the most impressive slow song on this album. That honor belongs to "Remind Me", the penultimate song on this album, and one of the best she's ever done. Don't let the paltry 540,000 streams on Spotify fool you, don't let this song never being released as a single fool you. The pop market isn't mature enough to handle a gorgeous song like this, one that bravely addresses mental health. In this song, Meghan sings about how she's vulnerable and broken, and how she needs someone's love to "remind her" how worthy she is. That person is of course her husband Daryl Sabara, I assume. In any case, this song will be forgotten by a lot of people, but I ask you to listen to it and remember it. Given the somber tone of the song, she hits some beautiful low notes!

Meghan's life as a mother and wife is reflected in these mature lyrics.

Other Album Highlights

The album begins with "Sensitive", which is a pure a capella song. She makes it clear from the start she's returning to her roots! The song features Pentatonix baritone Scott Hoying backing her up. She addresses her sensitivity in this song, with the common refrain "fuck it, I'm sensitive" popping up. But she admonishes the man in the song for being "full of it", too. If you're a fan of a capella harmonies, you'll like this song. Then there's "Takin' It Back", a song about bringing us back to the days "they played that good shit". I'm all for that message, of course! But for a song about how "if it ain't old school, it ain't got no soul", the song sure does have a modern feel to it. I still like how it sounds, I just think the messaging is inconsistent there. "Don't I Make It Look Easy" is another body insecurity song, with Trainor singing "Don't I make it look easy... I'm fooling you". The message of being happy in the public eye but a mess behind the curtains reminds me of "Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

A lot of female singers nowadays are outright whoring themselves, and it can feel rather uncomfortable to listen to, needless to say. Well, when Trainor sings her songs with sexual innuendos, they're just that, innuendos. There's actually a hint of subtlety. The most racy song on the album, "Shook", certainly has some eyebrow-raising lyrics. Those include "booties like this don't come around often" and "tell the neighbors pay no mind to my screams". But unlike songs such as "WAP", MTrain is still approaching sex with some degree of subtlety. And besides that, with this song's catchy hook, it's just more enjoyable to listen to. "Lucky" is the other song with sexual innuendo, but certainly less obvious than in "Shook". "Lucky" is truly a highlight of the album, with a joyous chorus and exciting melody. Give it a listen.

Meghan has a maturity level missing in other pop stars.

Conclusion: A Fantastic Return to Form For MTrain

In case you can't tell already, I am a huge fan of this new album. Now, that does not mean every song on here is great. For example, "Breezy" is a rather forgettable song with a repetitive hook. Not only that, it features some crappy Harry Belafonte impersonator that had no place on the album. So that track sucked, and a couple others were mediocre. But the vast majority of this album is good to fantastic. You have everything from beautiful and mature slow jams, to energetic and catchy dance tracks. And it's the sound you expect from 2015-era Meghan Trainor, blending old school in with the new. That's exactly what this album does. So MTrain fans, rejoice! She has taken us back to the good old days... of 2015.

Final Grade: 4/5 Stars

My Halloween Playlist For This Year!

Spooky season has once again arrived! With Halloween being just a few weeks away, I thought I'd share my Halloween playlist this year. This 1 hour of spooky music I have prepared will be played shortly at Fall Fest at PPHAC, as I am DJing there. Two 1-hour shows in less than 24 hours, I truly am a professional DJ! But, here are the 18 songs, and a brief description of why I like them as some good spooky songs for this year's Halloween.

1.) Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers

We begin our list with a true Halloween classic, dating back 60 years to 1962. I'm a sucker for novelty songs, and this one is no different. It honestly seems you can't have a Halloween playlist without this song, so I might as well kick it off with this.

2.) Zombie Jamboree (Back to Back) by Harry Belafonte

You know, I would probably be playing the Rockapella version from "Do it Acapella" if it was on Spotify, but alas, it is not. So, I will be playing the calypso version from "Mr. Day-O" Belafonte. And you know what, the song is quite well-suited for him as well!

Rockapella's "Zombie Jamboree" is something else, though.

3.) Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

For this song we go to 1978... it's a fantastic novelty rocker about the hairy, hairy gent who ran amok in Kent. Or the little old lady who got mutilated. But mostly, it's about those werewolves of London. AWWOOO!!! Fun fact, I posted a lyric video of this on YouTube 10 years ago.

4.) The Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley

Again, if you're a fan of old school novelty songs, your Halloween playlist simply isn't complete without this song right here. This rock and roll ditty dates back to 1958, and would later lend its name to the Minnesota Vikings' defense of the 1970s.

5.) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by The Monotones

The Monotones have had their famous song "Book of Love" referenced in Don McLean's "American Pie" and Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll". I'm guessing neither artist had heard of this song though, truly the spookiest doo wop song you'll find out there!

This song was better than "Book of Love", if you ask me.

6.) Superstition by Stevie Wonder

For those who need a palate cleanser after having no idea what that last song was about, I got you covered. This 1972 #1 hit is obviously quite the well-known song, and its themes of "7 years of bad luck" fits in quite well with the spookiness of Halloween. It's a classic, and a worthy addition to the list.

7.) Frankenstein by The Edgar Winter Group

Okay, now this 1973 instrumental isn't the spookiest song per se. But I'm including it on my list for a few reasons. First of all, it's called "Frankenstein", which is really cool. Secondly, I saw Edgar Winter play with Ringo last month, and he was an excellent performer.

Keyboard Jesus gets some street cred!

8.) (Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult

This 5-minute song from 1976 is a staple of classic rock radio. Lead singer Buck Dharma wrote this spooky sounding song about the inevitability of death. But despite such a grim message, SNL has forever made us associate this tune with "more cowbell!". 

Will Ferrell and I got a fever... and the only cure is diet and exercise.

9.) Hells Bells by AC/DC

Despite being a strong Bon Scott truther, I greatly admire what Brian Johnson did immediately filling in his shoes for the amazing 1980 album "Back in Black". And with its tolling bells and haunting opening guitar line, "Hells Bells" has deservedly become one of the group's most iconic songs.

10.) Dark Horse by Katy Perry and Juicy J

We're not going too far back for this one, as it was released in 2013 and I remember it being a major hit in early 2014. When I'm doing my Fall Fest playlist today, I figured I had to appease some of the fans of newer music, and that this decent song would do the trick.

The music video... it's a trip.

11.) Maxwell's Silver Hammer by The Beatles

Of course, there had to be a Beatles song on my playlist. The question is, which Beatles song is really "spooky" and would fit the theme? Well, after doing some generic research for "Halloween songs", I figured this 1969 ditty about an hammer-wielding murderer fit in well.

12.) Runnin' With The Devil by Van Halen

Released in 1978, this hard rock song is another staple of classic rock radio. And man, it is a badass song indeed. Eddie Van Halen proves his guitar virtuosity on this one, while the bass player... plucks the same note over and over again. Quite a talent gap there, if you ask me!

🤘

13.) Boris The Spider by The Who

I've seen various spider web decorations so far during this Halloween season. So really, would Halloween be complete without Boris, the most legendary of spiders? Yes, this 1966 song was used by my Dad to torment my brother and I when we were kids. Great parenting!

14.) Luigi's Mansion from Mario Kart DS

I have incorporated a couple video game songs into my playlist, including the spookiest of all the Mario Kart songs. Luigi's Mansion is quite the popular video game franchise, and it was well-incorporated into the even more popular Mario Kart franchise back in 2006. 

Mario Kart DS is one of the best games in the series.

15.) Spooky, Scary Skeletons by Andrew Gold

Released in 1996, this song originally faded into relative obscurity. But the magic of internet memes bought it back to life in the 2010s, to the point where it's now one of the most iconic Halloween songs out there. So now, I simply feel compelled to put it on my list.

16.) The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band

When it comes to novelty country songs, it doesn't get much better than this 1979 country song. And yes, it's proof that country and Halloween can indeed mix! We have a song about betting your soul against the Devil... and what is more spooky than that?

17.) Witch Doctor by David Seville

For our penultimate song we stick in the novelty category, but go back to 1958. David Seville, known for his Alvin and The Chipmunks characters, puts on the whole sped-up voice act here. It's not the spookiest Halloween song, but it sure is funny when Quagmire puts his spin on it.

18.) Zombies on Your Lawn by Laura Shigihara

What an absolute childhood classic this one is. Plants vs. Zombies was my life back in 2009, and this was the satisfaction you got for beating the game. You got to hear this totally catchy song filled with great humor. There ain't nothing like hearing a zombie complain, "There's butter on my head!"

Enough said!

So because that song concludes the original Plants vs. Zombies, I figure that'd be the perfect song to conclude my list. What are some of your favorite Halloween songs? What's missing from the list? Feel free to drop me a comment and let me know.

7 GREAT Short Songs That Are Less Than 2 Minutes Long

Just because a song is short doesn't mean it can't be really impressive. Case in point, these 7 songs get their points across quite solidly in less than 2 minutes. A lot of short songs can often be filler in my opinion, and I often judge those shorter songs as crappy attempts at throwaway songwriting. But you can't entirely judge a book by its cover. When you see a song is less than 2 minutes, give it a chance. After all, what's the worse that can happen, you waste 1 minute and 45 seconds of your life? With these 7 songs, you'll only be wishing that the song was longer.

1.) How Do You Do It?

Gerry and the Pacemakers were the #2 group in Liverpool in the early 1960s... you can probably guess who #1 was. But, there is one thing they certainly did better than the Beatles. And that was their performance of this particular song. The Beatles recorded a not-so-spirited version of this song, as they were unenthusiastic about recording this song that management wanted them to. They were not yet world famous, and felt their original songs like "Love Me Do" were better for them. But in 1 minute, 55 seconds lead singer Gerry Marsden put forth a much better performance than Lennon-McCartney. It's just as great as a lot of Beatles songs from 1963. Listen to the two versions, compare them, and tell me I'm wrong. 

Gerry and the Pacemakers were huge in Britain, but never quite conquered the world like The Beatles.

2.) The Letter

In 1967, the music world was mostly moving past the 2-minute song. That was more of a late 50s/early 60s thing. But not for the Box Tops in their famous song. Lead singer Alex Chilton sounded like a gruff and grizzly man despite being just 16 when he recorded this song. It's a 1 minute, 53 second ditty that has blue-eyed soul elements. It's one of the shortest songs to ever hit #1 on the Billboard pop charts. By the way, do you want to know what the shortest one was? It's the doo wop song "Stay" by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, released in 1960. Just 1 minute, 36 seconds! But "The Letter" is certainly another short but sweet song.

Give me a ticket for an aeroplane!

3.) Love You Most Of All

The Persuasions have fantastic a capella songs of many lengths from "Women and Drinkin" (6:52) to "Three Angels" (1:43). But my choice for this list is a fantastic cut from the album "We Still Ain't Got No Band", with this Sam Cooke cover. The Persuasions put a super enthusiastic spin on this song... "With the way you're walking down the street, all the fellas go OOOH-weee!". At 1 minute, 53 seconds it should seem like a filler song on an album with so many other great tracks. "Steal Away" comes next. "Dance With Me", and the aforementioned on this blog "Send Me Some Lovin" are after that. And yet, with sheer balls, this song still manages to stand out!

I should beg Spotify to put this 1973 album on their platform!

4.) I'll Follow The Sun

Hmm, what Beatles song shall I pick for the list? Maybe something from the Abbey Road medley that really stands out? Perhaps the beautiful McCartney track "I Will"? Nope, I've decided to go with one of the very first Beatles songs that ever stood out to me. I loved it many years before I became a diehard Beatles fan... I was just a little kid, and yet I still found the emotional beauty in this 1 minute, 49 second song. It's an acoustic song that features some fabulous Lennon-McCartney harmony, as well as Paul singing solo for a bit. It's honestly one of the true highlights of their early career, and is probably in my Top 30 Beatles songs despite being so short and simple.

It's one of the best tracks on this underrated 1964 album, "Beatles For Sale".

5.) Mercedes Benz

Janis Joplin didn't need any instruments besides a tapped beat for this song (and really, she didn't need that). And she didn't need any more time than 1 minute, 48 seconds to get her point across. Released in 1971, after Janis's death, this song has been interpreted as a rejection of consumerism. I listened to Janis's 1971 album "Pearl" as a consideration for my Awesome Albums show, and I can tell you "Me and Bobby McGee" is the true gem of that album. However, despite its short length, Mercedes Benz might very well be the second best. Janis's vocals are strong and piercing, powerful enough to carry a song all by itself. And that's a very special talent in a singer.

Janis took a piece of our hearts with this powerful song.

6.) Little Honda

The Beach Boys had a whole lot of short songs during their early career. At 1:51, "Shut Down" comes to mind as a short but fantastic burst of energy. But, my choice for the list is the 1:54 song "Little Honda". It's a pretty typical Mike Love era early Beach Boys song, with him singing the lead on a fun Summer song about driving around in his epic ride. But perhaps the most notable aspect of this song (at least for me) is drummer Dennis Wilson shouting "Go!" in the beginning of the song. When I was younger, my Dad used to troll my brother and I by replaying the beginning of the song constantly when it was on a CD. So all we heard was "Go!" "Go!" "Go!".

The critics will tell you their peak was "Pet Sounds", I'll still say it's 1964.

7.) "C" is for Cookie

Why not end the list with my most ridiculous choice? Why not end it with my shortest choice? (1:29) Yes, we're going to go with this 1971 song from Sesame Street, sung by the legendary puppeteer Frank Oz. Well, you might know him better as Cookie Monster! This song is what we call pure id. It's pure impulse... it's all about cookies, because that's good enough for me! And really, as a sweets lover, cookies are good enough for me. Cookie Monster offers such legendary insight as "You know, a round cookie with one bite out of it looks like a C. A round donut with one bite out of it also looks like a C, but it is not as good as a cookie. Oh, and the moon sometimes looks like a C. But you can't eat that!". Enough said.

Oh boy!

What short songs do you think I was missing from this list? Feel free to let me know some of your favorites, but remember, the rule is 2 minutes or less! These songs are certainly short, but they're certainly sweet in my opinion. Yes, even "C is for Cookie".

7 Songs With An EPIC Ending

There's something that always gets me in music. I love it when a song builds up in excitement and intensity, and you feel the jubilation when the song has a fantastic release at the end. These seven songs are prime examples of this. They might not catch your attention right away. They might not start out super flashy. But by the end, you're blown away by how strongly it ended. So, I picked seven songs from across the musical spectrum that I believe are strong examples of this. Seven songs where it ain't about how you start, but how you finish!

Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel

This 1970 song was the original inspiration for the list, especially considering I'm playing its namesake album on my show next week. In my mind, this is the perfect example of a song that builds up in intensity. It goes from 0 to 100 over the course of a song, and does so brilliantly. Art Garfunkel's tender vocals carry us through the first two verses in a very delicate manner. But then you can hear the orchestra start to build up by the time he harmonizes with Paul Simon. And the ending? An absolute burst of energy. Garfunkel is punching high notes, and you can hear a percussive "boom" at the end that gets me every time.

Simon and Garfunkel's fantastic 1970 song has one of my all-time favorite endings.

A Day in the Life by The Beatles

The critics certainly love this Beatles song, as it's consistently rated as one of their all time best. While it's not one of my personal favorites, I will always love the ending. Well, not the very ending with all the weird noises. I'm talking more of the epic orchestral buildup to the final note. By 1967, The Beatles could basically afford anything they wanted musically. And so, George Martin had quite the interesting musical idea for his group. What if his orchestra would either randomly go from their highest to lowest note, or from their lowest to highest note? What kind of chaos would ensue? The brilliant result was the ending of this song (and also the middle right before Paul's part). But it's even more effective at the end, given the release of that final note.

The 1967 Beatles... Paul never looked right with a mustache, in my opinion.

My Prayer by The Platters

With their fabulous lead singer Tony Williams, the Platters had plenty of great endings. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is another one that comes to mind. Much like that song, most of "My Prayer" is a mellow slow jam. But it builds up quite brilliantly. By the middle, you start to feel some tension at the "tonight, while our hearts are aglow" section. However, the best is certainly saved for last. Williams hits a fantastic high note on "Prayer" right at the end and holds it out. Quite simply, it's singers like him that are the envy of fellow tenors like me! But even then, I saw a talented a capella group at Lead East cover this song recently, where the lead singer did that final note justice.

This 1956 song is one of the group's best.

Love Story by Taylor Swift

Perhaps this is a bit surprising, but we're only traveling back to 2008 for this one. It's a popular misconception that I think all pop music from the past 20 years is bad, I only think most of it is bad. Because there's iconic songs like "Love Story" that I did indeed grow up with as a 6-year old kid. The song starts out very mellow, with Taylor setting the scene and meeting her man on a balcony in summer air. The song does a great job of building excitement as it goes along, as it follows the forbidden "Romeo and Juliet" format. By the time it gets to the "I got tired of waiting", tension is all built up. What will happen? But then the man asks her to marry her, and that tension is released in a beautiful ending.

She's the biggest pop star of my generation... Her best song was still 14 years ago, though.

White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane

So here we have another psychedelic song from 1967. And this song is quite psychedelic, indeed. It starts with images of Alice in Wonderland and of course... pills. The beginning is quiet, but you can already feel the song building towards something greater with its drum rolls. Then lead singer Grace Slick guides us through having "some kind of mushroom" in the middle, tension is only getting greater. Finally, the release comes at the end with the refrain of "Remember what the dormouse said, feed your head!". The song has been described by Slick, who also wrote the song, as one long crescendo. Well, that more than qualifies it for this list.

I have played the song on one of my shows before and dedicated it to my Aunt Peggy.

Highway to Hell by AC/DC

This iconic 1979 rock song shows off the Young brothers' immense guitar talents quite well at the end. Unlike most of the songs on this list, it does not start off soft. I mean, it's AC/DC, do you expect their songs to be quiet? I can name one quiet AC/DC song, "Ride On", that's it. Now as I mentioned, the best moment for "Highway to Hell" comes at the end, with Bon Scott's growling vocals. All the while, Angus is shredding it on lead guitar, while brother Malcolm follows along on rhythm. It's a very satisfying ending to one of the group's most iconic songs. 

The Amish were NOT fans when Peter played "Highway to Hell".

Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out on Broadway)

We conclude our list with this fabulous song from Billy Joel, featuring one of my all-time favorite piano parts courtesy of the Piano Man. Back in 1976, Billy wasn't the mega star he was in the 80s, and was still kinda the starving artist type coming up with beautifully fresh ideas. And that includes this dystopian song that has a phenomenal ending. Billy pounds out the piano, and "tells the world about the way the lights went out". All the while, the orchestra is at its peak buildup. But after that, the quiet and pretty piano from the beginning is reprised. Turnstiles will eventually be played on Graeme's Awesome Albums, and this song is the biggest reason why.

1976 Billy Joel was entering his career peak.

What other songs do you think have amazing endings? Let me know in the comments. 

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band: Concert Review!

Last Sunday night, I was overwhelmed by peace and love. That's because I saw Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band live at the Met in Philadelphia. I was originally going to see the group back in June, but the concert got postponed due to Covid. And so, last Sunday was quite the crazy day. I was trying desperately to keep up with the Giants game as I entered Philadelphia. I witnessed their insane comeback and last-second win, to the point where I saw the very end of the game right as I was entering the venue! It was really hard to hide my excitement! But, I knew there would be plenty more to be excited for. Here's what I thought of the concert.

Ringo still fairly energetic as an 82-year old

You wonder how much an aged rock star has still "got it". To me, Ringo still (mostly) has it. Now, he had his share of senior moments. He messed up the lyrics on "Boys", but perhaps that's because he had to hearken back to 1963 Ringo for that one. And he left the stage midway through the concert for about 15 minutes, calling it a "musical magical moment". But really, it was probably just that he needed a break. But the truth is, he was great behind the kit, great on vocals, and very engaged with the audience. He even did jumping jacks at the end of the show, making me question whether this was truly an 82-year old man I was witnessing! But the truth of the matter is, Ringo is kept young at heart by his healthy vegetarian diet, and his mantra of peace and love.

Ringo being Ringo.

Edgar Winter: Keyboard Wizard

Despite my love for Ringo, we all know he was the least talented member of The Beatles. Well, despite his legendary status, the "least talented" label may still be true when comparing him to his All-Star bandmates! With his long white hair and raspy voice, Edgar Winter certainly did a lot to steal the show. He was absolutely killing it on the keyboard, as his fingers moved rapidly up and down the instrument. He played his #1 hit "Frankenstein", which was taken from the top position of the charts by "My Love" in 1973. "Frankenstein" was quite the neat instrumental. Winter also played some saxophone and did some singing, though it was his keyboard playing that was truly excellent.

Edgar "Keyboard Jesus" Winter in his natural state.

Toto Was in the House

The most famous non-Beatles song that was played that night was undoubtedly "Africa" by Toto. The song was a #1 hit in the US in 1983. Steve Lukather, the band's lead guitarist, was rocking the house when he was playing this famous song. In fact, he introduced "Africa" by saying, "You probably know this song". And when the audience heard those opening notes, they confirmed his assumption! Other famous songs by the group that were on the setlist included "Rosanna" and "Hold The Line". Needless to say, it was refreshing to hear some classic songs that I recognized from 99.9 The Hawk.

Steve Lukather, guitarist for Ringo and Toto.

An Awesome Drum Solo... But not from Ringo!

There needed to be a man behind the kit when Ringo took center stage and sang. That honor belonged to Gregg Bissonette. But Bissonette had quite the interesting solo midway through the concert. This was the part of the show when Ringo left to create a "magical musical moment", and perhaps this was the most magical moment during Ringo's absence! That's because Gregg Bissonette put together an incredible medley of various famous drumming parts. That of course included many drum parts from Beatles songs, including "Ticket to Ride", "Tomorrow Never Knows", and "Come Together". Would it have been cooler if Ringo played it? Sure. But Bissonette is a spring chicken compared to Ringo at just 63 years old, and his juice behind the kit was noticeable.

Greg Bissonette, the second-most famous drummer in Ringo's band.

The Best Singer: Definitely Colin Hay

Representing the band Men at Work, Colin Hay stole the show as the best singer in this supergroup. Hay was born in Scotland, but his band formed in Australia. He was definitely not the most notably Scottish person on the stage, as that honor belonged to Hamish Stuart (you can tell by the name, can't you?). But anyway, Colin Hay put in some work singing "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now". Interestingly, "Down Under" was a #1 hit in 1983 right before "Africa" was. Ringo has quite the all-star cast from 39 years ago! And with "Who Can It Be Now", Edgar Winter did a great job playing the iconic sax line.

Colin Hay, the second-most Scottish man on stage.

Okay, so what songs did Ringo do?

Well, I left the key question until the end. What songs did Ringo do from his time with The Beatles? Well, most of them! He opened with "Matchbox", an underrated Carl Perkins cover from his Beatles days that Robert and I really wanted to see. He introduced "What Goes On" as the only "Lennon-McCartney-Starr" song, and it's true... Ringo actually has a songwriting credit on that one! He did my favorite Ringo Beatles song, "Octopus's Garden". I was lucky to see it, as apparently Ringo didn't have it in his setlist until this year! And while I'm usually opposed to having phones out to record at a concert, I had to capture some of that moment to look back on. He of course did his most famous Beatles song, "Yellow Submarine". The audience was singing along quite excitedly to that simple but great tune. 

Ringo with his Yellow Submarine sidekick.

And the 82-year old man still had some of that playboy attitude about him, that's for sure! He was calling women in the audience "baby", which I suppose you get away with when you're Ringo.  I suppose you get away with it when you have random people shouting out "We love you Ringo!" after each song. Not only that, Ringo had quite the interesting dedication for one of his early and lesser known Beatles song. He said, "This is for all the young girls out in the audience... it's called I Wanna Be Your Man." And while "I Wanna Be Your Man" was decidedly missing Paul and John backing Ringo on vocals, it was still a spirited performance. Two of Ringo's famous solo songs got the audience going, "It Don't Come Easy", as well as "Photograph". Though, I was surprised Ringo didn't dedicated "Photograph" to the recently deceased Queen. Especially considering he did that for George Harrison after he died. The grand finale for the show was a medley of "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Give Peace a Chance". He put up a double peace sign, and at the very end he had the audience chanting "Peace and love! Peace and love!". Quite a moving experience. And overall, quite a great concert.

There's the current lineup. Past members include Levon Helm and Billy Preston, both of whom I would have loved to see.

Send Me Some Lovin! Looking at 5 Different Versions of the Same Song

A few weeks back, I looked at The Chirpin' Crickets album, and gave it a very positive review. One song I noted on there was "Send Me Some Lovin", as I said that John Lennon tried to impersonate Holly when he made his cover version. But after further research, I think Lennon was probably more trying to impersonate Little Richard. Because as it turns out, Little Richard was the first one to record this song! And he was far from the only person, as this song has been recorded by Brenda Lee, Dean Martin, Stevie Wonder, Hank Williams Jr, Otis Redding, and Gene Vincent. And we're not even looking at any of their versions today! Instead, we'll look at the Little Richard original, as well as four from some of my other favorite artists. I was surprised by how many truly great artists recorded this song. 

Version #1: Little Richard, 1957

It's certainly a slower tempo song for Little Richard, and the same can be said for the song's A-side, "Lucille". It's still not exactly a slow-jam though, as the saxophone still keeps a steady, rockin' beat. And though Little Richard doesn't start out in his usual fortissimo vocals, he's still in mezzo forte mode. There's just no way that man could sing at any level of quiet! And rest assured, he goes straight into the screaming when the song goes to "Can't you send me your kisses, I still feel their touch!" It's this chorus that puts the distinctive Little Richard stamp on this song. So does the saxophone. I think I've found a competitor for "Keep a Knockin" when it comes to my favorite song from this flamboyant man.

Little Richard, in his natural state.

Version #2: Buddy Holly, 1957

A more mellowed out version of this song can be found from Buddy Holly, the man who I suppose has inspired 2 out of the last 3 articles on this blog. He is joined by call and response vocals from his backing group, The Picks. Now I know what you're thinking, his backing group was the Crickets. Well, as it turned out, he had a separate backing group for vocals! And I must say, The Picks add quite the sentimental value to this song. Much like Little Richard, Buddy puts extra emphasis on the feel during the chorus, though he does so with Texas twang and maybe not as much raw passion. Whereas Little Richard's version felt like a pure rock 'n roll song, Buddy's definitely had elements of rockabilly (of course) but also a bit of doo wop.

The Picks weren't credited for their work until 1987. I'm not even sure that's a legit picture of them in the top right corner.

Version 3: Sam Cooke, 1963

Here we have by far the most lush version of the song so far. It goes straight for the Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You" route, with orchestration and a backing chorus. Sam doesn't start the song, his backing chorus actually does. Undoubtedly, this song is pretty, but it's lacking some of the guts that Little Richard and Buddy Holly's versions did. I'm just not sure if the posh arrangement is the best way for this song to be done. Still, Sam's vocals make the version worth listening to. He adds his new spin and style on the song compared to the ones we've reviewed so far. For example, he sings "send it, I-I-I-I pray", adding extra emphasis there! And that's a technique we're going to see copied by the next artist on the list.

This comes from Sam's Mr. Soul album, which I am not too familiar with.

Version #4: The Persuasions, 1973

There's some gold that's worth digging for, even if you can't find it on Spotify. My music-streaming service of choice has nearly all the Persuasions albums I want, but for some reason... it still ain't got no band! Yes, The Persuasions 1973 album "We Still Ain't Got No Band" is one I've only recently listened to in full. I am impressed by many of the songs, including "Love You Most Of All" (a Sam Cooke song), "Dance With Me", and one I already knew... "Good Old Acapella". But what drew me to this album? Well, it was "Send Me Some Lovin" of course! I showed my Dad the Buddy Holly version, and he said, "You know who sings this song... The Peruasions!". So, we found it on YouTube, and there you go. As I noted, Jerry's vocals are based somewhat on the Sam Cooke version. But instead of the over-produced orchestra, we get The Persuasions awesome backing vocals. Unfortunately, all the versions of this song on YouTube are on crackled records. Spotify, I expect a clean version of this song soon!

I was amazed there was prime Persuasions songs out there that I hadn't listened to yet!

Version #5: John Lennon, 1975

Our final version comes from a man I have hailed as my favorite vocalist of all time. By the way, all five of these artists made my "Musical Mount Rushmore" article, too. So they're all kinda a big deal! Anyway,  in this case "Send Me Some Lovin" was part of a medley with "Bring It On Home To Me". There we go brining up Sam Cooke again! As a matter of fact, Lennon's version suffers from the same problem that Sam Cooke's version does. It's overproduced... so yeah, it only makes sense that Phil Spector was behind this one. Like Little Richard, it has the saxophone blasting in the back, but the arrangement for Little Richard's original was much more bare-bones. And I like it that way. Still, like Sam Cooke, John Lennon redeems this song with a tremendous vocal performance. After all, even before Buddy Holly, this is where I first heard this song!

If it wasn't for Phil Spector's complex arrangements, this might be my favorite John Lennon album. 

So, this rock 'n roll classic, co-written by John S. Marascalso and and Leo Price, went on to be covered by so many of my favorite artists. And I didn't even know it until a few days ago. Do you have a favorite version of this song? Let me know in the comments. And before I go, let's quick do a power ranking, rating these versions from my least favorite to favorite. Though please do note, I like all 5 of them.

#5: Sam Cooke

#4: John Lennon

#3: Little Richard

#2: Buddy Holly

#1: The Persuasions

My 15 Favorite Doo Wop Groups: In Honor of the 40th Lead East!

Lead East in Parsippany, New Jersey is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. I'm going there this Saturday to enjoy some classic cars and good 'ol doo wop music. So, I thought it would only be fitting for today's blog to be about some of the very best doo wop groups from that 50s/60s era. In no particular order, here are 15 of my very favorite doo wop groups.

The Ink Spots

I think it's fair to say there's no doo wop without The Ink Spots. I know I just said at the beginning that this list would be about groups from the 50s/60s era, but The Ink Spots were the original masters of the craft in the 30s/40s. Bill Kenny's beautiful tenor vocals took them to great heights on songs like "If I Didn't Care" and "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". Meanwhile, bassman Hoppy Jones would often sing/talk the bridge, pleading with a certain "honey child". You can argue they don't belong on this list, maybe because they start every song with the exact same guitar riff, or maybe because they're only proto-doo wop. But I argue their place in doo wop history is unquestionable.

Here is the group in 1936. True doo wop OGs.

The Drifters

When I put them on the list, I talk mostly of the Clyde McPhatter-era Drifters. He was with the Drifters for one turbulent year, though the group that formed in 1953 is still technically around today. "Save The Last Dance For Me" and "Under The Boardwalk" are oldies classics, but neither are comparable to "Money Honey". Still, Clyde was with the group for such a short time, that his sound-a-like replacement Johnny Moore doesn't get enough credit. He actually sang songs like "Ruby Baby", "Adorable", and "Fools Fall In Love". I'll be honest, I thought Clyde recorded many of these songs before I did my research. Still, I know he was on the legendary recording of "White Christmas" that featured bassman Bill Pinkney.

The '53 Drifters, with Clyde McPhatter front and center.

The Rivieras

If you look up "The Rivieras" on Google, you get some little known surf rock band that was from South Bend, Indiana of all places. That's not the group that's on this list! Instead, The Rivieras I'm focusing on are an underrated doo wop quartet that featured Homer Dunn on lead vocals. The group had a unique blend of street-corner harmony and classy pop orchestration. This is clearly seen on their rendition of the classic song "Moonlight Cocktails", one of their very best. They also do quite the cover of "Count Every Star". And if you're looking for an unheralded uptempo song, "Refrigerator" is a good bet. Brrrrrr!!!

These guys should not be forgotten.

The Five Satins

When I was about eight years old, I fantasized about marrying my first crush. And I knew the perfect wedding song, which was "To The Aisle" by The Five Satins. It's one of doo wop's most beautiful gems, with Fred Paris singing so tenderly on lead vocals. Almost as great as "To The Aisle" is "Wonderful Girl". But in popular lore, both of these songs get overshadowed by perhaps doo wop's most famous song, "In The Still of the Night". But the truth is, that song is simply not the best this group has to offer. Another song better than that famous classic would be "Shadows".

Respect to the guy in the group wearing the cool glasses.

Little Anthony and the Imperials

Much like The Drifters, this group are bona fide Rock 'N Roll Hall of Famers. They were one of the only doo wop groups that was still successful in the mid 60s, with songs like "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad". Though, those songs are arguably more soul than doo wop, as the group pivoted to a more popular style. So if you want true doo wop songs from the Imperials, you could go with the 1958 classic "Tears on My Pillow". But for me, their two truly underrated gems are the uptempo "Traveling Stranger", and the beautiful slow jam "Wishful Thinking". Just don't listen to "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop".

Also worth checking out is "Those Fires Burn No More", when Little Anthony was with The Chesters.

The Five Discs

Of all the groups on this list, The Five Discs are probably the most unapologetically street corner. And that's why you gotta love 'em! "Never Let You Go" is their most notable record in my opinion, as with its goofy bass and shrieking falsetto to open the song, it's sure to be a song you won't forget. But you know what else is memorable? Probably their song "My Chinese Girl", which is definitely not meant for a 2022 audience. I've heard my share of racist old records, but that one might take the cake for most politically incorrect. And we also can't forget "I Remember", a song that uses "mmm bat" to create its harmony.

"My Chinese Girl" is not for the faint of heart.

The Marcels

In 1961, The Marcels brought doo wop to #1 on the pop charts with their cover of the standard "Blue Moon". Of the overplayed doo wop songs, I gotta say this is still one of my favorites and not one I get sick of. But we can't overlook Blue Moon's B-side, the beautiful "Goodbye To Love". Still, I think uptempo songs were more the Marcels' speciality. "Heartaches", a song that charted at #7 is proof of that. Bass singer Fred Johnson had quite the memorable performance there, needless to say. But my favorite song from this  group will probably always be "Flower Pot", how could it not be?

The white members of the group left after touring in the Deep South, as the group encountered problems given that they were multiracial.

The Platters

If the Five Discs went to the extreme with street corner sound, The Platters did just the opposite, blending pop and doo wop together in a more polished sound. Perhaps doo wop fans aren't the biggest fans of this, seeing that only 3 of their songs made UGHA's Top 500 doo wop songs list (despite the group's enormous popularity). But The Platters' sound was doo wop enough in my opinion, with fantastic songs like "The Great Pretender" and "My Prayer". Tony Williams was a virtuoso as a lead vocalist, and his backing vocalists certainly let him be the star of the show. In any case, these guys (and girl) are a worthy group in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame.

The last note in "My Prayer" is an otherworldly experience.

The Crests

We go from one group with a virtuoso lead singer to another. In fact, he was not just a virtuous, he was a maestro. Yes, Johnny Mastrangelo (later Johnny Maestro) is one of doo wop's greatest singers. He is most well-known beyond the doo wop sphere for "16 Candles". But this interracial group had much more than that, with songs like "My Juanita" and "Six Nights a Week" being major favorites at Lead East (and deservedly so). My favorite Crests song is probably "Step by Step", an uptempo and exciting song about "finding the perfect plan for love". 

The group was composed of two African-Americans, one Puerto Rican, and an Italian (you can probably guess who that is).

Norman Fox and the Rob Roys

We've talked a fair bit about interracial groups so far, but this Bronx group that formed in 1956 was one of the earliest. With three white and two black singers, this group wasn't just progressive, they were really good. "Tell Me Why" is a fantastic uptempo song. A decent cover was made by The Belmonts later on and it was more successful on the charts, but don't kid yourselves... the original is better. "Pizza Pie" is a nostalgic classic for me, it reminds me of getting pizza from Sicily's as a kid. But perhaps the Rob Roys' best song is their slow jam "Dream Girl", one of the most underrated doo wop songs in my opinion.

I have seen Norman Fox (here at the bottom) at Lead East before.

The Coasters

These guys were the true goofballs of the doo wop world, and as a result, they haven't earned much respect in doo wop circles. If The Platters were too polished, The Coasters weren't serious enough, as they got zero songs on UGHA's Top 500 list. Despite this, I will stick by many of their fun novelty songs, including "Down in Mexico" and "Along Came Jones". Back when the Coasters were The Robins, they recorded "Smokey Joe's Cafe", which is absolutely one of my favorites. And "Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart" disproves the notion that The Coasters were just clowns, as bassman Dub Jones sings a beautiful slow jam on that record.

They were inducted in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame before The Beatles. Look it up.

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

Here's another Rock HOF group, with their greatest hit undoubtedly being "Why Do Fools Fall In Love". It's absolutely iconic, and no, I don't get tired of it. But my favorite song from this group is "I Want You To Be My Girl"... in any case, both songs are also notable for their killer sax solos. And of course, they are notable for the youthful energy that Frankie Lymon carried. Lymon was unfortunately quite the troubled rock 'n roll star, and later died at the young age of 25. But while they were still around, this group made an undeniable impact on the doo wop and rock 'n roll world (they were a favorite of Alan Freed).

"The ABCs of Love" is also great.

The Paragons

This street corner group was blessed with quite the lead singer in Julius McMichael. His distinctive falsetto can be found on a trio of classics that are quite popular in doo wop circles, "Florence", "Let's Start All Over Again", and "Twilight". All three of these songs are fantastic, and part of why I will be playing The Paragons Meet The Jesters album on my upcoming Awesome Albums show. But McMichael wasn't the group's lead singer for very long, and they have solid songs without him. The most notable of those is "So You Will Know", an unheralded gem that is beloved by true doo wop aficionados.

If you search up The Paragons, you get a group from Kingston, Jamaica. Not these guys!

The Moonglows

Harvey Fuqua was absolutely smooth on lead vocals. And Prentiss Barnes was an awesome bass, notable for his call and response in "The Ten Commandments of Love". The Moonglows are in the Rock and Roll HOF, and for good reason. "Sincerely" is their greatest hit commercially, later famously covered by The McGuire Sisters. "When I'm With You" is another beautiful slow jam, but their best song is "Most Of All". "Most Of All" is a Top-10 all time doo wop song, a true masterpiece. They dabbled in uptempto stuff with "See Saw" and "Hey Santa Claus", but slower songs were their speciality.

I assumed Harvey was front and center, but it's actually Billy Johnson rocking the guitar and epic glasses... Harvey is on the far right.

 

The Harptones

I've raved about them plenty on this blog, but that's because they were truly the best. They had all the ingredients of a great doo wop group. They had a virtuoso lead in Willie Winfield, a tremendous bass in Billy Brown, and super tight backing vocalists. But perhaps the greatest key to their great sound was Raoul Cita, piano player, songwriter, and arranger. It was he who penned songs like "Life Is But a Dream" and "My Memories Of You", songs that are indeed quite memorable! I still contend "A Sunday Kind of Love", their original recording, is their greatest. In any case, Cita may have been one of the first doo wop arrangers, and knew how to make Winfield shine. 

The GOATs.

Well, that's my opinion, which doo wop groups would make your all time favorite list? Just because I love so many, there has to be a few honorable mentions to conclude this post:

-Dion and the Belmonts

-The Ravens

-The Jesters

-Lee Andrews and the Hearts

-The Court Jesters