I have been a fan of singer/songwriter Michael Lowman since the release of his first EP, the wonderful "In My Own Words" . Lowman, a native of South Africa, saw interest in his music take off, and it was not long before he was signed to EMI/Universal Records. As he works on his first release for them, which is due out sometime this summer, he did this wonderful music video, featuring his song "You're Lovin' Ain't Right". The song rocks and rolls, and even offers a bit of Rockabilly flavors. Michael seems like a natural for this uptempo song, but why don't you see, or should I say hear, for yourself? This is "You're Lovin' Ain't Right".
While the single is not yet available for purchase, I will keep everyone up-to-date when Michael album, 'Crayon Boxes', comes out. But for now, you can check him out on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. You can also find his first EP, 'In My Own Words', on Amazon and iTunes.
Singer/songwriter Tom Goss has released a new single and music video, and it could be my new song for the summer! "Bears" is sexy and sweet, and the music video, directed by the super-talented team of Aram Vartian and Michael Patrick Key, is a rollicking non-stop joy ride, a perfect compliment to the song produced by Rich Morel. I've seen Tom sing "Bears" live a couple of times, always bringing such great energy from the audience. This single makes the first time the song has been recorded, and it brings the energy in the live performances to a new high. Tom is looking every bit as hot, if not hotter, than ever! Once you watch the video, I bet you won't be able to resist buying the single for that great summer playlist! Get ready to find yourself some new boyfriends in "Bears"!
See, I wasn't wrong, was I? I know there were a couple of guys there who caught my eye! "Bears" is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. To learn more about Tom, visit his official website. Check out his touring schedule, for you won't want to miss him if he is playing in your area. You can also follow him on Twitter, or like him on Facebook.
Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitešić sing "Falling Slowly" an the Graham Norton Show.
First, I'd like to admit to those people who haven't paid close attention to me in earlier posts that I am a huge Declan Bennett fan. The British singer/songwriter has been making music fro several years. Bennett has been cast in several musicals through the years, with roles in 'Rent', 'American Idiot', and ''Taboo'. His performance in these shows caught the eye of several people, and and just recently he has done that in a a new show which recently opened on London's West End. The show, with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, upon whom the musical was based on. Well the musical, as well as the and the movie of the same name. Anyway, please enjoy Declan Bennett and costar Zrinka Cvitešić sing "Falling Slowly" from the West End production of 'Once'.
For more about Declan Bennett, visit his official website. To find out more about 'Once The Musical', be sure to visit their official website. Once there, you will be able to check out their great love story, and enjoy some great voices.
Clockwise: Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and Doris Day.
Judy, Barbra, Liza and Doris, all names that top the lists of the lovers of the movie musicals. From the 'A Star Is Born' to 'Love Me Or Leave Me' to 'Funny Girl' to 'Cabaret', these ladies had the big musicals covered. While their styles might have differed, the results seldom did. And they could all sing the blues, and earn a standing ovation doing it. They not only sing, but they smoulder while they do, so much you can smell the smoke, and hear the tinkling of the glasses in the club... In the 1955 movie 'Love Me Or Leave Me', Doris Day played jazz singer Ruth Etting, who was married to mobster Mo Snyder, played by James Cagney. Long story short - girl marries mobster to get ahead in her career. She does movies and records, and leaves mobster for piano player. Mobster tries to kill piano man, and the scandal costs the woman her career. A true Hollywood story, and the girl sings "Ten Cents A Dance", with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. The soundtrack album topped the Billboard Pop chart for an astounding 17 weeks, a true testament good music and a great performance by the illustrious Miss Day.
In 1954, Judy Garland landed a role that put her back on the map as a Hollywood actress to watch. It had been a couple of years since she and MGM came to an understanding for her release, but that would soon change. She lit up the screen as Esther Blodgett, a small-time singer who gets noticed by the big-time star with a tendency to self-destruct. Played by James Mason, Norman Maine first comes across Esther as she sings "The Man That Got Away", the amazing song by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin. This could be the ultimate Torch song ever.
Liza Minnelli had a major role in the 1980 television special 'Baryshnikov On Broadway', starring Mikhail Baryshnikov. On it, she takes a moment to sing "The Music That Makes Me Dance" from the Broadway musical 'Funny Girl'. Liza's mother, Judy Garland, had sung the song as part of her legendary 1964 show at the London Palladium, after the show had opened earlier that year. As a tribute to "Mama", Liza performed the song on her TV Special. I don't blame her. If I could, I would sing that song to Mikhail...
But that does lead me to the original Fanny Brice in the Broadway show, Barbra Streisand. She was just 25 when they shot the movie, her first film. She originated the role on Broadway. For the show, Jules Styne and Bob Merrill wrote "The Music That Makes Me Dance" for the final scene, as the show couldn't get the rights to one of Fanny's biggest songs, "My Man". When making the movie, Streisand wanted to sing the Fanny Brice hit, but writers and producers feared it too old fashioned. Streisand recorded the song for her 1965 album "My Name Is Barbra", and the music from her Emmy-winning television special. Soon, the producers got the clearance for the movie, where it was used in a remarkably memorable scene. Some attribute Streisand's win of the Academy Award to her moving performance of the song.
Those torch singers, they just burn so bright, don't they? No matter the decade, they amazing women burned brighter than the sun.
Left to right: Zal Yanovsky, John Sebastian, Joe Butler and Steve Boone.
In the summer of 1966, a band coming from the Greenwich Village section of New York City snagged their first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. To be fair, they weren't a group of unknowns, as they had four songs in the Top 10, two of them reaching #2 on the chart. But with "Summer in the City", The Lovin' Spoonful hit a new high with their first chart-topper. The band was made up by Guitarist/singer/songwriter John Sebastian, guitarist Zal Yanovsky, drummer Joe Butler, and bassist Steve Boone. The song was written by John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian and Steve Boone. As we've been going through some warm weather of late, it just seemed like the right time for the song. Without further ado, here is The Lovin' Spoonful with "Summer In The City".
The Lovin' Spoonful were together from 1965 to 1969. In that time, they had seven songs make it to the Top 10 on the charts. After the breakup, on John Sebatian had success as a solo artist, scoring the hit "Welcome Back", the song sued as the theme for the hit TV show 'Welcome Back, Kotter'. The song went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. All four did manage to have strong careers as studio musicians, as well as working as producers. But for the last four years in the 1960s, they were The Lovin' Spoonful.
The English rock band formed by Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin in the mid 1970s brought the raw edge of Punk to the Post-Punk era with equal parts Pop and Avant-Garde, joining the great band The Cure as the forerunners of the Gothic music scene. Their music didn't really hit the US shores until 1980, when their odd Kabuki-like make-up stood in sharp contrast to the American rockers making their way to the 1980s. The sound of the band flowed between raucous Punk to Psychedelic, never becoming predictable.
Over 30 years ago, in 1982, the band released a single that was not featured on any album at the time. "Fireworks" was written and produced by the band, and leaned more toward the Psychedelic end of the spectrum. I thought it would be a great way to celebrate the birth of the American nation, as much of the nations holds firework displays. So here are Siouxsie & the Banshees with "Fireworks"
Top: Record pressing of "The Grand Old Rag". Bottom, left to right: Billy Murray, and George M. Cohan.
Billy Murray sings "You're A Grand Old Flag", written by the great composer George M Cohan. This was recorded 107 years ago in 1906. The song, first written as "A Grand Old Rag" for his Broadway musical 'George Washington Jr'. One of the earliest recordings of the song is by Vaudeville and recording star Billy Murray. He kept the 'rag' lyrics, which were later removed by Cohan and 'flag' was repeated in the lyrics. The song become the first song to ever sell over 1 million copies of sheet music. This is Billy Murray singing "The Grand Old Rag".
