Easter at the Disco

Well, it is Good Friday in all of Christendom, so I thought I would help people celebrate the start of the holy weekend with a bit of dance music befitting the holiday. Yes, I know, there are some out there thinking the death and resurrection of the son of God is not disco material, but I am here to give you the opportunity to rethink that. And I will start with this first clever video of the post, where some clever individual took the song "Night On Disco Mountain" from the soundtrack of 'Saturday Night Fever' and laid it over c clip from 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and made a veritable Saturday Night Jesus, or Jesus Fever...

While I have long held the belief that whatever one's thought are on the matter of religion is really a personal matter, one that needn't be used to bully anyone, I have oft seen not all would agree. I was thrilled that it seemed like the boys from Depeche Mode more more to my thinking, as they gave us the amazing song, "Personal Jesus (Eric Prydz Remix)".

And how could this Good Friday pass without a selection from the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, 'Jesus Christ Superstar'? So here is a discofied version of the title cut, so everyone can get off their feet to, brought courtesy of the 'disco' group Thunder & Lightning. Here is "Jesus Christ Superstar".

And, finally, I couldn't imagine ending with any other song than "It's Jesus I Love (Max Sedgley Remix)", which is a sweet part of my collection of music from Sarah Jane Morris. It can be found on her album 'After All These Years', and also on her album 'Love and Pain'. And you know, I am a big Sarah Jane fan, since the days she sang with Jimmy Somerville in Communards.

Have a great Easter Weekend!

St. Patrick's Morning with Sinéad O'Connor

Is there a better way to start out any St. Patrick's Day than with the gorgeous voice of Sinéad O'Connor? In keeping wiht my Sunday morning tradition, I will offer up some songs that are somewhat spiritual, starting with her cover of "I Don't Know How To Love Him", a song from the 1970 rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. It has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. It is the song written for Mary Magdalene, who some might say is the original hooker with the heart of gold, taking a look at her feelings for the son of God.

The next song was also written in 1970, but under very different circumstances. "Rivers of Babylon" is a rastafarian song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians. Dowe and McNaughton took inspiration from a few Bible verses for the lyrics, and wrote the music. Listen as Sinéad sings "Rivers of Babylon".

Both songs can be found on Sinéad's 2007 album, 'Theology'. The double album set, recorded in both Dublin and London, can be purchased from iTunes. To learn more about Sinéad O'Connor, including her tour dates, visit her official website.

Happy Easter from Daniel Boys

One of my favorite British singers, Daniel Boys, did a fantastic job with the incredibly difficult song from Jesus Christ Superstar, Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say). The song is an interesting inner dialog, perhaps even a prayer, as Jesus comes to grips with his imminent death. This is Daniel signing it live at the Faenol Festival in 2008.

For more about Daniel, check out his official website here. In the latest news, I read that Daniel has been cast in the lead role in a brand new production of Peter Pan in the UK! He also has a show booked in Australia later this year. Daniel, how about NY? You can also check out The Daniel Boys Fanzone here.

Easter Rocks

On Good Friday, I posted some clips of Broadway/Hollywood's depictions of Jesus being put to the cross, as he was on Good Friday. For tonight, I thought I would offer up some of the very beautiful music that went in two of those movies, music that was not quite as heavy as, well, watching God's son die. Godspell was released in March of 1973, based on a Broadway musical. The show and movie open with John The Baptist calling to the flock to be baptized in preparation of the arrival of a savior. He is played by David Haskell, who sings Prepare Ye.



The Broadway show cast singers/actors who were not well-known in the business, something also done for the movie. A young woman by the name of Robin Lamont sang the song everybody knows from this show, Day By Day.



Katie Hanley sand the beautiful By My Side, joined by the other disciples for some outrageous harmonies. This depicts when the disciples pledged their devotion to Jesus, and when Judas first turned away.



Now the story and music for Jesus Christ Superstar, released, oddly enough, in the fall of that same year, had a different feel altogether. Where Godspell was folkie and pop, Jesus Christ Superstar was a rock opera, complete with electric guitars and basses. Even the story told is more in-your-face, more earthy. But it also served up it's fair share of pop, especially with the wonderful Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene. Mary, of course, was a woman of ill repute with the heart of gold, and a penchant to fall in love with saviors. But first she tries to use her womanly ways to ease his burden, and get Jesus to relax just a bit. She sings about it in Everything's Alright.



Jesus decides to go to Jerusalem, and is greeted at the city limits by large crowds to welcome him, the savior. They laid down palms on the road, giving Jesus a clean and safe path to walk. This later became celebrated as Psalm Sunday, the week prior to Easter. The crowds greet Jesus singing Hosanna.



Well, it never fails, does it? A musical mus come down to love, be it lost love, found love, or unrequited love. It is the latter for Mary Magdalene, as she sings about her 'unexpected' feelings for the savior of mankind in I Don't Know How To Love Him.



As Jesus is put before a court, Pontius Pilate, played by Barry Dennen, wants to know if there is proof he is the son of God, or does he just want to be treated like a savior? For the trial, he drops in like a rock God, with his fringe flying, and sings Superstar.



In the end, he finds Jesus guilty, and orders him to be crucified outside of the city. Something both of these stories have in common? Neither ends well for the son of God.

Good Friday - Jesus Christ Superstar

Some consider Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 movie musical Jesus Christ Superstar, to be the hottest son of God ever. Like most superlatives, that would be open to discussion, I am sure. But his Jesus was perhaps the most human Jesus to date. But the film, with music and lyrics by the prolific team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, was transported by director Norman Jewison to a dessert locale, with the Roman soldiers in lilac tank tops, fatigues and shine helmets, driving tanks. Jesus and his disciples were all kinds of hippie/rock stars, with lots of cotton and fringe as well as the more traditional robes. As part of the Good Friday posting, here is the crucifixion scene from Jesus Christ Superstar.