From Pop to Jazz: Men Sing the Classics

Clockwise: Boz Scaggs, Rick Astley, Bryan Ferry, and George Michael.

I love having my Saturday night Jazz session, but I must admit to sometimes being unsure if I could offer up anything new. While coming up with nothing for this week, an idea popped into my mind that I quite liked. What if I could post songs from some of my favorite singers from the 1970s and 1980s? After all, many went on to release Jazz discs. And I know exactly where I'd like to start. When I hear the name Boz Scaggs mentioned, I definitely go back to my high school years, when everyone was listening to his music. "It's Over" and "Low Down" were bit hits in 1976, and his amazing "Lido Shuffle" was huge in 1977. When I heard he made an album of Jazz music, I must admit I was intrigued. It seemed to me his voice would be great with the material, and his musicality made for it. To hear him take on a song written by George and Ira Gershwin in 1928 for the Broadway musical 'Funny Face', it is something special. To prove my point, this is Boz Scaggs singing "How Long Has This Been Going On".

"How Long Has This Been Going On" can be found on the album 'But Beautiful: Jazz Standards Volume 1', released by Boz in 2003. You can purchase the album from iTunes and Amazon. Next up, we have one of my favorite artists from the 1980s, Rick Astley. I loved his music back in the day, when he was controlling the charts with hits like "Never Gonna Give You Up" in 1987, along with "Together Forever" and "She Wants To Dance With Me" in 1988. After many years on top of the charts around the world, Astley stepped away from the music business in 1993. About a decade later, he made a comeback, first with Pop, but also with an album of Jazz songs. One of the tracks on the album is "These Foolish Things", a great song with lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by Jack Strachey in 1936. This is Rick Astley singing "These Foolish Things".

"These Foolish Things" can be found on the album, 'Portrait', release in October of 2005. Unfortunately, you can't purchase the album as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon in the United States. But you can order it as an import CD on Amazon. Few people managed to rule the charts over the course of a couple of decades quite like the amazing George Michael. From his time with Wham!, with the worldwide hit "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" that reached #1 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and just about anywhere else that had music charts in 1984, to his solo career starting in 1987, Michael is still making music with that gorgeous voice of his. I love that he covered "My Baby Just Cares For Me", a jazz standard written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn for the 1930 film version of 'Whoopee!'. He takes it on with a light and sexy feel, and I just love it. This is George Michael with "My Baby Just Cares For Me".

"My Baby Just Cares For Me" can be found on George's 1999 release, 'Songs From The Last Century'. You can purchase the album from iTunes and Amazon. Finally, I thought I would end the post with another of my favorites from the 1970s, Bryan Ferry. I first got to know his music through the band Roxy Music, which had hits like "Love Is The Drug" in 1975, and "More Than This" in 1982. The band was the darling of the critics, both in his native UK, as well as in the US. And I loved them, too. Ferry managed to be the odd bird who somehow balanced being the creative force behind Roxy Music, as well as having a solo career. As a solo artist, Ferry explored a lot of music, classic and original. I chose his cover of "Love Me Or Leave Me", the second song here written by Walter Donaldson and the lyrics by Gus Kahn. This one was written for the 1928 Broadway show 'Whoopee!', the show that was the basis for the 1930 movie. I enjoyed this live performance by Bryan Ferry of the wonderful song "Love Me Or Leave Me".

"Love Me Or Leave Me" can be found on 'As Time Goes By', released in 1999. You can purchase the album from iTunes and Amazon. So there it is, a quartet of men who had songs on the charts a few decades ago, all of whom were part of the soundtrack of my youth. They all went on to dabble in Jazz, and do a pretty good job at it.

Ladies & Gentlemen • George Michael

I have found myself shaking my fist to the sky, cursing the Gods of shipping as I stand by my mailbox, waiting for my copy of Anthony Callea's 'Ladies & Gentlemen: The Music of George Michael' to arrive from it's seemingly endless journey from Australia to the United States. Instead of getting too crazy, I have decided to return to the source of it all, and visit the brilliant Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou himself for his great music. Yes, that is the given name of entertainer extraordinaire, George Michael. And I shall start with a song that was given to us all almost exactly 30 years ago. "Careless Whisper" was officially released on July 24, 1984. It was a single off the Wham! album, 'Make It Big', but it is really credited to Wham! featuring George Michael. The song, written by George and his bandmate Andrew Ridgeley, went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and stayed there for three weeks. This is the official music video for "Careless Whisper".

In October of 1987, the first solo album hit the ground, and George Michael was off and running. 'Faith' took the world by storm, offering a more mature and, dare I say it, sexier version of the superstar. The album went to #1 on the Billboard 200, and held the spot for 12 consecutive weeks. Hey, that is like three months in a row! 'Faith' also won the Grammy for 'Album of the Year'. The third single was released on January 2, 1980, and spent 14 weeks in the American Top 40. "Father Figure" also spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song had a smokey, smouldering quality, and I couldn't get enough of it. This is George Michael with the official music video for "Father Figure".

And finally, I take a look (or should I say a listen) to Michael's 1996 album, 'Older'. At first I laughed at the album title, for at that point George was only 33, hardly considered older. But once you hear it, you understand he was meaning to show how he had matured, how he had grown since the world had first gotten to know him as the lead singer of Wham! The first single was a brooding and melancholy song that spoke to loss and hurt. "Jesus to a Child" entered the American charts at #7. Later, it was said to be written by Michael as a loving tribute to his lover, Anselmo Feleppa, who the singer/songwriter had met after a concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1991. Their love burned bright, but the Brazilian passed away in 1995. Of course, this was all very hush-hush, for this was still while George was in the closet. But when you listen, you can feel the very real pain he was feeling. This is George Michael with his music video for "Jesus to a Child".

Unfortunately for us all, George Michael has faced his health struggles in recent years, from unexplained illnesses to substance abuse issues. But none of that can remove from our hearts and our ears the amazing music he brought to us all. Michael was forced out of the closet in 1998, when he was arrested for "engaging in a lead act" in a public restroom in Hollywood, California. It seems years of lviing in the closet had driven him to anonymous sex, which brought him to that public park. But the important thing is the music, and it is glorious. You can find all three tracks on his album 'Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael', an exceptional compilation of his music. You can purchase the album from Amazon. You can also find them on the compilation 'Twenty Five', available on iTunes and Amazon. For more bout George Michael, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter.

Anthony Callea • One More Try

When I first heard Anthony Callea would be putting on a live concert to celebrate the music of George Michael, I was both excited and envious of his Australian fans who would be getting a chance to attend. I have been dreaming of seeing this young man singing live ever since I first saw a video of him singing on Australian Idol. Thus far, I've only been able to live vicariously through those Australian fans, who I will admit are quite generous with their sharing, both with pictures and videos! The show quickly sold out, and it must have had people thinking, for it seems it was videotaped, and will soon be a DVD and a live CD. And Anthony is taking the show on tour in Australian, for those lucky people!

To promote all that, Anthony was recently on 'The Morning Show' down under, and they were good enough to post the video on YouTube. Anthony went on to sing a song by Michael, and I was damn near giddy when I hit play. And just as I expected, Anthony proves himself to be an outstanding vocalist and interpreter, for he is exceptional with "One More Try", a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988, as well as many other music charts around the world. This is Anthony with "One More Try".

Well, that gave me goose bumps, and triggered a response. His voice is so special, with a gorgeous tone, and a wonderful fullness. I knew I needed to have the DVD, and so I sent out to find it. You can pre-order your autographed copy of the 'Ladies & Gentlemen: The Songs of George Michael" DVD, visit Sanity Online. I've purchased from them before, and they have always delivered. It might take a bit longer to get to my mailbox in Delaware, but it does get to me. And I cannot wait!

Gregory Douglass • Imagination

When it comes to the music of Vermonter Gregory Douglass, I must admit to having a problem. You see, I just can't get enough. The talented and handsome singer/songwriter have been making music for a while now, and I do believe I have his complete collection in my iTunes. After all, you never know when you might need to get that fix, or which song might be needed to scratch that itch. This time of year, I am looking for holiday music, and once again, Gregory does not disappoint. In 2010, he released an amazing new song he had written, and it remains a favorite of mine today. "Imagination" is both dreamy and sweet, with a wonderful cello accompaniment by Monique Citro. This is the music video for "Imagination".

I really do love this song, and love when it comes up in my Christmas Mix. You can purchase "Imagination" on iTunes and Amazon. One of the wonderful things about being a fan of Gregory, besides the music and some cool music videos, is feeling safe in the knowledge "Imagination" is not the only song to play during the holiday season. In fact, Gregory has a 2009 release that is quite special. 'Merry' is 5-song collection that combines a few old favorites with some special new songs from Douglass.Among the older songs was a wonderful cover of Wham's "Last Christmas", first heard in 1984. It was written by the oh-so-talented George Michael, and went to #2 on the UK Pop chart, behind only "Do They Know It's Christmas?", the fundraiser by Band Aid, which included both George and Andrew from Wham. This is a video featuring the song "Last Christmas".

The 'Merry' EP also includes original songs "What A Long Year It Was" and "Walking in the Air", as well as classic favorites "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "O Holy Night". I'd tell you my favorite, but I can't pick one, they are all so good! 'Merry' can be purchased from iTunes and Amazon To learn more about Gregory Douglass, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter and 'like' him on Facebook.

Chris Salvatore • I Want Your Sex

Whenever a handsome young man serenades me with "I Want Your Sex", I have to admit he has my attention. And when that young man is Chris Salvatore, I am definitely listening. So when I saw on Twitter that Chris had released a cover of George Michael's "I Want Your Sex", released almost exactly 26 years ago. It was the first single off the 'Faith' album, and the video included his then-girlfriend, Kathy Jeung. It would be 11 years before George would come out of the closet, following the arrest in the Beverly Hills park restroom.

There is no issue with Salvatore, who has been out and proud for his entire career. And I am a big fan, and not just of his pretty face. "I Want Your Sex" originally was part of the 2010 collection, 'The Sound of This Beat'. That album was a sweet combination of Electronica and Pop with some strong Rock influences. His take on the George Michael classic is an Electronica gem, sexy and modern, not bothering with the faux coyness of the original. To hear it, just hit play to enjoy Salvatore's take on "I Want Your Sex".

For more about Chris Salvatore, you can 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook. You can purchase "I Want Your Sex" from iTunes and Amazon. If you'd like to check out 'The Sound of This Beat' album, you can find it on iTunes and Amazon.

The Young Professionals • Last Christmas

I truly enjoy the music of The Young Professionals, but that should come as no surprise, since I love the music of Ivri Lider, one half of the group. I've also proposed to him several times in my dreams. Ivri is joined in this endeavor by Yonathan Goldshtein, and together they are making something special. Their latest comes from a YouTube upload, as the Israeli duo offer a cover of "Last Christmas", written and recorded 28 years ago, in 1984. Enjoy the Young Professionals take on "Last Christmas".

For more about The Young Professionals, visit their official website. You can find their music on iTunes, Amazon and other places where fine music is sold.

Matthew Duffy • "Last Christmas"

Well, last Christmas out and proud musician Matthew Duffy recorded a cover of the great seasonal favorite by WHAM!, "Last Christmas". The song was written by George Michael, and released 28 years ago. Listen as Matthew adds a bit of himself to make it sound very today.

You can get your FREE DOWNLOAD of Matthew's cover of "Last Christmas" on his Soundcloud site. Once you click on that link, just click on the 'Download' button, which you will find circled on the picture below.

George Michael • White Light

Well, it seems as though George Michael has been inspired by his recent medical struggles. Following the scary hospital stay battling pneumonia for his life, George is back at work to detail his struggle in "White Light", released earlier this month. The song seems to detail his health problems, and begs the question, was he saved by science, or was it the prayers of those who cared for him? One thing seems sure, no matter how tough it might have been George never gave in and just kept breathing. Enjoy the video for "White Light".



You can purchase "White Light" from iTunes and Amazon. You can learn more about George Michael on his official website, and can follow him on Twitter.

George Michael • Faith

On the heels of his incredible success as half of the power-Pop duo of Wham!, George Michael went out on his own as a solo act, and was proven to be unstoppable. At no time was that more evident than in 1987, when he released his first solo album. Wham! had last smoked the US charts in 1986, when "The Edge of Heaven" made it to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1985, "I'm Your Man" made it to #3. But in 1987, Faith took off in ways no one expected, and made the quirky guy in Wham! a household name, and the object of lust of many girls and boys across the globe. This was quite the departure for Michael, who was last seen as a member of Wham!, cute but somewhat sexless with his bandmate/friend, Andrew Ridgeley. Embarking on a solo career, his good looks were put front and center, from shots of his denim-encased butt to shots of him playing the guitar wearing a leather jacket. Take, for instance, the first single & video off the Faith album, "I Want Your Sex." George had his permastubble established, singing directly to the camera, or romping with a supermodel.



You see, George was still firmly in the closet at this point. Remember, Elton John had come out about this time, after coming out as bisexual in 1976, but marrying a woman in 1984. So Michael maintained a faux-patina of heterosexuality in his videos, and fairly elusive when asked about it. Later, it was reported he feared coming out might damage his career, something we will never really know. But we were very sure that the second single off the album showed George to be a hot man. Here he is with the first single off the album to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Faith."



The third single off the album was a dreamy song with a sexy Gospel flair. The video featured George as a New Wave cabdriver, with scenes of him smoking and driving through Freudian tunnels while a model strips down. But I have to admit, the single itself is a sexy one, with Michael singing with plenty of growl and purr. "Father Figure" was released on January 2, 1988, and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by the end of February. It was atop the charts for two weeks.



After three very successful singles, George changed things up a bit and made a beautiful ballad to be the next release. On "One More Try," he slowed it down, and sang the bejesus out of the song, giving it a strong soulful flavor. It should come as no surprise the song was George's third consecutive #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The hazy air in front of stained glass windows lent a feeling of a church confessional for the video, with George baring his soul. His voice is an incredible instrument, and he often used it as well or better than expected. Here, it is amazing. Check out "One More Try" again.



That was followed up by another sexy uptempo song filled with innuendo, "Monkey." That was the fourth #1 single in a row, but one of my favorites off the album the the sixth release that only reached #5, the underachiever of the group. "Kissing a Fool" was a mid-tempo ballad that had the flavor or a retro song, and the unmistakable depth of George's vocals to make it a favorite. Here is George Michael's "Kissing A Fool."



When all was said and done, George had done pretty well with his solo debut. With six singles, there were four #1s, a #2, and a #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also, Faith had over 10 million sales, achieving Diamond status. But after all the promotional tours and such for the album, George was left exhausted and lonely. After being a bit playful about his relationships for many years, he began to speak out more openly and honestly about being gay after being arrested in a Beverly Hills public rest room in the Spring of 1998. Of course, this really left him little choice but to embrace his sexuality and what effect it might have on his career, but he did. However, that was just the first of several arrests for public lewdness/public sex and some drug possession charges both in the US and in the UK. George spoke out about the issues of drugs use and his enjoyment of anonymous sex in interviews and, more recently, on his Twitter account. Which kind of moved full circle to the first single of this post, doesn't it? You can purchase Faith on iTunes and Amazon. You can learn more about George Michael on his official website, and can follow him on Twitter.

Friday Night Party Mix

From Top: Annie Lennox, Culture Club, Seal, Stephen Gately, George Michael, Boy George.

Perhaps it is time for another British Invasion, this time via the web, and by this blog in particular. Over the course of a couple of decades, there are a few Brits who managed to be among those who's music could get me outta my chair and shakin' the hips, even if I was home alone listening. Take, for instance, the most recent song from this particular grouping, Stephen Gately's Stay from 2001. I was a big fan of Gately's, and still listen to his music.



The 80s would certainly not be the same without the music and sheer force of personality of the great Boy George and Culture Club. The gender-bending tour-de-force took the world by storm, and there were certainly tons of great music to be heard in all the clubs I went to. Here is the 1984 single, Karma Chameleon.



The 80s, the 90s, and even some of the 2000s might not have been the same if it weren't for talented singer/songwriter George Michael. The man went from a chart-topping group of WHAM! to a solo turn that is still going strong. Here he is from a 1991 show singing I'm Your Man.



At the 1995 Grammy Award ceremony, Annie Lennox & Seal offered up a tribute to the great Marvin Gaye when they did an amazing duet on one of his greatest songs, What's Going On?



In 1992, Annie Lennox had an MTV Unplugged show, back in the day what the 'M' in MTV stood for music. There used to be some really great stuff on it, like here cover of the iconic song, River Deep, Mountain High.



Be it the 80s, the 90s or 2000s, fun music that makes you wanna dance is worth buying. so check them out, and shake you groove thing, kids!

Billboard Top 5 - 1987

Wow, this was an interesting year for me - the first time I hadn't worked in the theater for several years. I was working for a multimedia firm, mainly doing slide shows for real estate ventures. Yes, you read that right, slide shows. They were multi-projector shows particular to corporate real estate, and every bit as boring and awful as it sounds. But it paid well. Very quickly I worked my way up to the job of line producer, and was traveling with photographers, overseeing photoshoots of various real estate around the country. While driving around in rental cars, I would listen to the radio, hearing all the songs listed below. And what a great list it is, starting with former lead singer of The GoGos, Belinda Carlisle singing Heaven Is A Place On Earth. I was, and still am a fan of Belinda. When the solo album was released, I ran out to buy it and loved it.And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Belinda's strong support of LGBT rights, having embraced following her own son's coming out. Only made me love her more.



Anyone who watched Family Ties is familiar with Billy Vera & The Beaters romantic song At This Moment. The song was the score to the love scenes between Alex P. Keaton and Ellen, played by Micheal J. Fox and the woman who became his real life wife, Tracy Pollan. Lore has it that Billy Vera had already given up on his musical career, playing occasional dates for the bucks, when a Family Ties producer caught his show, and decided the song would be perfect for the show. The song was originally released in 1981, with minimal success. But when fans of the show started wanting a copy, the album was not available - the record company had gone under. So Rhino Records put out an album, and the song hit #1 on the chart, and remained on the Pop chart for 15 weeks.



George Michael had recently left Wham!, and was wanting to work with one of his all-time favorite singers, Aretha Franklin. So he worked on I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) to get that done, and it was actually an amazing performance. And while it would be tough to think of many bad efforts by Aretha, I really loved this, and was surprised to see George hold his own [insert giggling here]. The song hit #1 in the US and in the UK. While it was not George's first, it shockingly was Franklin's one and only UK #1. Who'd a thunk it?



Written by Albert Hammond and Diane 'Queen of the Power Ballad' Warren, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now managed to get Starship back on top of the charts in April of 1987. This enabled the amazing Grace Slick to be pegged with the dubious honor of being the oldest woman to have a number one song. She was later displaced by Cher, who had the 1999 hit Believe, which I blame for the popularity of autotune, which still is killing much pop music to this day. Anyway, the Starship song also appeared on the soundtrack to the wacky comedy Mannequin, and it was nominated for an Academy Award. It lost the award to (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.



This is the year U2 released their monster album, Joshua Tree. The band was already crowned the Band of the 80s by many because of their popularity, both on records and in concert. But the new album took it to a new level, as did the ballad off the album, With Or Without You. I was already crazy for the band, having gotten on the bandwagon when my sister Kim, still in college, gave me the War album in 1983. I instantly loved the Irish boys, and went and bought their earlier music. In fact, Kim and I, along with another friend, went to see them on this tour, during the stop at Giants Stadium. This is a great song, and deserves to be the #! song of the year.

Worth Another Listen - Wham!

Wham! formed in 1981 in the UK, when George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley came together. But they weren't a blip on the US in 1984 with the release of the album Make It Big and the single Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go), which could be found on top of the charts worldwide, as well as setting off gaydar detectors left and right. When George took the stage with the short-shorts, did anyone even notice Andrew was playing?



Wham! followed that up with Careless Whisper, a song that is still played almost non-stop on adult contemporary stations everywhere. At this time, the record company and George were trying to convince the world he was str8, even a bit of a playboy, the handsome blond singer not settling down with a woman [now we know there were obvious reasons for that]. Of course, this was long before he was arrested for propositioning police officers in public bathrooms in Beverly Hills.



In 1986, George and Andrew decided to go their separate ways. George was eager to make more sophisticated music and leave the bubblegum of Wham! behind. Post-Wham!, Andrew tried his hand as a race car driver in Formula One racing, then tried to revive his music career, before finally returning to the UK to live with his significant other, Keren Woodward of the girl-group Bananarama. George went on to super-stardom, a solo career that is marked by hit after hit. However, in the last several years, it has also been marked by oddness and appearances in the police blotters in papers across the world.