William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: Long Hard Look ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock Here is yet another one that I have not heard in many moons and just started playing in my brain; who knows where it came from? But at least I got it out and made it today's pick. Back when it was released and some years after it was played a lot, so it was quite ubiquitous, but eventually faded from popular culture somewhat. Gramm's vocals are a s powerful as ever in this one; he was/is the main driving force for the band Foreigner and it shows.   Hear Just Between You and Me on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The (Detroit) Spinners - Spaceballs     My song pick 2 years ago today: Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters     My song pick 3 years ago today: David Essex - Stardust   My song pick 4 years ago today: Beat Crusaders - Summerend   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Alan Parsons Project - To One in Paradise   My song pick 6 years ago today: Sky - Gymnopedie No. 1 ...

From: Shout! (Shout It Out) ; Year: 1978; Genre: Funk Some B.T. Express for this first Funky Friday in October. A fun, funky track to dance to with just a smidge of disco for a great sound and groove blend.   Hear Shake It Off on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Ultravox! - ROckWrok     My song pick 2 years ago today: Foreigner - Headknocker     My song pick 3 years ago today: Badfinger - Timeless   My song pick 4 years ago today: Toad The Wet Sprocket - Come Back Down   My song pick 5 years ago today: Ambrosia - Holdin' On To Yesterday   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash   My song pick 7 years ago today: Billy Joel - I Go To Extremes   My song pick 8 years ago today: Sky - My Giselle My song pick 9 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - From the End of the World My song pick 10 years ago today: The Midnight - Days of Thunder My song pick 11 years ag...

From: Wicked Wonderland ; Year: 2009; Genre: Metal Just been in a mood today and felt like something from Lita Ford for some reason. Apparently she has stated her dislike for this entire album for wotever reason, but I like the extra heaviness and her amazing shredding on the guitar.     Hear Betrayal on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Midnight Oil - Read About It     My song pick 2 years ago today: Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge - Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends     My song pick 3 years ago today: Meat Loaf - Hot Patootie -- Bless My Soul   My song pick 4 years ago today: Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms   My song pick 5 years ago today: Brass Construction - Movin'   My song pick 6 years ago today: Motörhead - Shine   My song pick 7 years ago today: Hawkwind - Chaos Army/Horn of Destiny   My song pick 8 years ago today: Rainbow - Man on the Silver Mountain My song...

From: Built to Last ; Year: 1989; Genre: Country Rock Dang, another month is now over; October is always positive, or at least I can hope. Had the 'Dead on my mind for most of yesterday, so I figured I should pick another one from the band, which is one I have always enjoyed. This one, which was written by late keyboardist Brent Mydland and long-time 'Dead collaborator/poet John Barlow, also features Mydland on lead vocals has a message and feel similar to the Earth movement back in the 1960/70s with more of a '90s production and sound indicative of them and their music of the era. Of course, this was also the Grateful Dead's "swansong" studio album; Brent Mydland passed away less than a year later.   Hear We Can Run on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: King Crimson - The Great Deceiver     My song pick 2 years ago today: Geddy Lee - Gone     My song pick 3 years ago today: Tommy Roe - Dizzy   My song pick 4 years ago tod...

From: Raising the Mammoth ; Year: 2002; Genre: Progressive Metal/Symphonic Metal  This will be the last Explorers Club song I will be picking; only because I have already chosen ever other song from the band/project. Oh well, still got material from Trent Gardner's main band, Magellan to choose from.  This is the epic 21 minute instrumental extravaganza that closes this concept record out; an excellent piece to do so, indeed.    Hear the full album on YouTube. (Part 2 starts just after the 38 minute mark)        My song pick 1 year ago today: Red Rider - Power (Strength in Numbers)     My song pick 2 years ago today: Billy Squier - The Stroke     My song pick 3 years ago today: Marcus Miller - Be My Love   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1983... (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)   My song pick 5 years ago today: Toad The Wet Sprocket - Something's Always Wrong   My song pick 6 years ...

From: Resident Alien ; Year: 1995; Genre: Glam Rock Another day of choosing a track that was on my mind; at least I am not picking one in memorandum of a recently deceased artist. (Knock on wood) Here's the song of the band's namesake from their debut studio album. I can only think of a couple of bands that wrote a song named after themselves....     Hear Spacehog on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Bruce Springsteen - The Promised Land     My song pick 2 years ago today: Klaatu - Anus of Uranus     My song pick 3 years ago today: Rockwell - Obscene Phone Caller   My song pick 4 years ago today: Zebrahead - Playmate of the Year   My song pick 5 years ago today: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Mideast Vacation   My song pick 6 years ago today: Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy   My song pick 7 years ago today: Dream Theater - Falls Into the Light   My song pick 8 years ago today: Quarterflash - Nig...

From: Goodnite, It's Time To Go ; Year: 1957; Genre: Doo-Wop/Rock 'n Roll Seems like as of late I have been picking songs that were just playing in my brain's "player" instead of going with something in particular. I guess that is among wot is good about keeping a blog as such; the different songs surfacing for the Aether. Anyway, most have probably heard this one at some time over the last 70 or so years. I, personally remember hearing the Sha Na Na version first, but the original wasn't far behind with it being featured on the classic film American Graffiti and thus had re-gained a lot of popularity. It is without a doubt a stone-cold classic track and more than perfect for that final slow dance of the evening.   Hear Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Roy Orbison - Blue Angel     My song pick 2 years ago today: Praxis - After Shock (The Chaos Never Died)     My song pick 3 years ago today: ...

From: Mack Daddy ; Year: 1992; Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap This is one of those songs that seems to get just about everyone up and shakin' their thang even some 34 years on. Not surprising that Baby Got Back hasn't gotten the static that many songs of a similar subject have; so many people love it and it is actually empowering to individuals that were maligned, (shamed), for not being like the cultural ideal of, more or less, a skeleton with skin stretched around it. Plus it's really well done and infectiously dance-inducing with a great lyrical delivery.   Watch the music video on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Into My Own Thing     My song pick 2 years ago today: Brenton Wood - Best Thing I Ever Had     My song pick 3 years ago today: Edgar Winter's White Trash - Keep Playin' That Rock 'n' Roll   My song pick 4 years ago today: Explorers Club - Impact 1 – Fate Speaks   My song pick 5 years ago t...

From: Sweet Soul Music ; Year: 1967; Genre: Soul/Funk I just love it when a great track just starts playing in my head like this one. Cannot count the times I've heard it and/or when it has started spontaneously in my mind, but for wotever reason I never have looked up the details. Whilst essentially a "shout-out"/ode to the soul/R&B/funk greats of the era, the amazing high-energy groove upbeat sound make it so much more.    Hear Sweet Soul Music on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Charlie Daniels Band - Midnight Wind     My song pick 2 years ago today: Luther Davis Group - You     My song pick 3 years ago today: Steve Vai - The X-Equilibrium Dance   My song pick 4 years ago today: Willie Nelson & Ray Price - Crazy Arms   My song pick 5 years ago today: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On   My song pick 6 years ago today: Funkadelic - Some Fresh Delic   My song pick 7 years ago today: ...

From: Bachman-Turner Overdrive II ; Year: 1973; Genre: Hard Rock Whilst not among the outstanding hit singles on this, BTO's first big charting record, to me it has always been one of the "go to" tracks and one of my favourites. Stonegates is a song that the band did everything they were noted for in spades: C.F. Turner's powerful and expressive vocals, great rhythm and hooky riffs, and mind-blowing lead guitars.   Hear Stonegates on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: R.E.O. Speedwagon - Keep the Fire Burning     My song pick 2 years ago today: Ugly Kid Joe - Dead Friends Play     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - For a Thousand Mothers   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rare Earth - Smiling Faces Sometimes   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rhythm Machine - Thought My Love Was Fine   My song pick 6 years ago today: Devo - Uncontrollable Urge   My song pick 7 years ago today: Pallas - Nightmare My...

From: In Square Circle ; Year: 1985; Genre: Soul Was getting ready to choose another song and kept having this amazing album keep playing through my mind. You can tell when a song is well-written/arranged/produced when it can take you back to when you first heard it complete with wot was happening at the time, but also you can just put it one and it blends with the current time and environment. Although, I have to say that if you play this one next to current top 40 fare you'll find a track such as this to be way overshadowing it.   Hear Go Home on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Joseph Haydn - Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major     My song pick 2 years ago today: Gloryhammer - Legendary Enchanted Jetpack     My song pick 3 years ago today: Pearl Jam - Animal   My song pick 4 years ago today: Parliament - [You're a Fish & I'm a] Water Sign   My song pick 5 years ago today: Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like ...

From: The Messenger ; Year: 2023; Genre: Progressive Rock Finding it quite difficult to find much of Pallas' most recent material. I believe it mostly due to them self-releasing, which they have apparently been doing since their 2011 album XXV . It is always great to hear their new material as well as their classic songs as well; they sound just as youthful as they did way back in the '80s.   Hear Heavy Air on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Jerry Reed - The Phantom Of The Opry     My song pick 2 years ago today: Luther Ingram - (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right     My song pick 3 years ago today: Funkadelic - You Hit the Nail on the Head   My song pick 4 years ago today: Boston - Tell Me   My song pick 5 years ago today: Ian Anderson - The Browning of the Green   My song pick 6 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Roadways   My song pick 7 years ago today: Helloween - Pumpkins United   ...

From: The Early Years 1965-1972 ; Year: 2016; Genre: Psychedelic Rock  Still sick... some early Pink Floyd seemed almost perfect. Discovered that this used to be quite a rare song that was intended as a b-side for two early singles, but never made the cut. I believe that this is one penned by the late-great Syd Barret, but the lead vocals were performed by Nick Mason, which is very unique as well. Without a doubt between the tempo changes and Syd's sped-up backing vocals; it really delivers the insane psychedelia that the band was known for early on.   Hear Scream Thy Last Scream on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Blancmange - The Day Before You Came     My song pick 2 years ago today: Anne Murray - Snowbird     My song pick 3 years ago today: Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Moody Blues - Question   My song pick 5 years ago today: Les Paul - Goofus   My song pi...

From: Chicago 17 ; Year: 1984; Genre: Soft Rock/Pop Caught a stupid head cold and have been insanely tired; wot a way to spend a weekend....  Had this one play in my mind for most of my waking hours yesterday, and whilst not my favourite from Chicago, the chorus always is a great draw for me. Also, it does get some play in different media every now and then, so it keeps itself somewhat in the cultural mindspace.   Hear You're the Inspiration on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Motörhead - Lost Johnny     My song pick 2 years ago today: Funkadelic - Wars of Armageddon     My song pick 3 years ago today: Black 47 - Fanatic Heart   My song pick 4 years ago today: Motörhead - Hellraiser   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Charlie Daniels Band - Reflections   My song pick 6 years ago today: Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot   My song pick 7 years ago today: Victor Wooten - Keep it Low ...

From: Portrait Gallery ; Year: 1975; Genre: Folk/Folk Rock Kind of surprised once more that I have not chosen a song from a certain artist. Harry Chapin has always been one that had some influence on me and my musical tastes; most will remember him for his giant hit Cat's in the Cradle , but in the short time he was on this Earth writing and recording he made a profound mark. He is another one of those troubadours poets that told amazingly detailed tales within all of his songs. This song is kind of a "scrapbooking" track in that it follows a couple throughout their lives at various points. The main theme is how you put off your dreams and aspirations when family life comes into being. Whilst the couple in the story did not live out their ambitions, they still had a successful live seeing all of their progeny succeed.   Hear Dreams Go By on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Stanley Clarke - Life is Just a Game     My song pick 2 years ag...

From: Return of the Dream Canteen ; Year: 2022; Genre: Funk Rock/Alternative Rock Needed some 'Chili Peppers today, no other reason; thought I'd just pick another off their most recent studio record.     Hear Afterlife on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Hawkwind - Song of the Swords     My song pick 2 years ago today: Roman Holliday - Stand By     My song pick 3 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Destination Unknown   My song pick 4 years ago today: Charlie Ryan - Hot Rod Lincoln   My song pick 5 years ago today: Sweeney Todd - Short Distance, Long Journey   My song pick 6 years ago today: Funkadelic - Foot Soldiers (Star Spangled Funky) My song pick 7 years ago today: Asia - Lying to Yourself     My song pick 8 years ago today: Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer My song pick 9 years ago today: Rush - Kid Gloves My song pick 10 years ago today: Blood, Sweat ...

From: Ghost Stories ; Year: 2024; Genre: Hard Rock This is another one of their songs that was left behind sometime between the late '70s and mid '80s and features lyrics penned by early New York punk pioneer Helen Wheels. Sure, it's not even close to their best material, but is a good hard rocker that is still fun to hear and dance along to.     Hear Gun on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Down the Road     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Jackson 5 - I'll Be There     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Undressed to Kill   My song pick 4 years ago today: Accept - Princess of the Dawn   My song pick 5 years ago today: Funkadelic - Shockwaves   My song pick 6 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Average Man My song pick 7 years ago today: Reverend Horton Heat - Psychobilly Freakout My song pick 8 years ago today: Fates Warning - Anar...

From: Bloodrock ; Year: 1970; Genre: Hard Rock/Metal "The clock on the wall says half past nine I pray to God, 'Give me more time!' I hear those steps movin' down the hall As I sit in these hallowed walls!" \m/      \m/     Hear Timepiece on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Gloryhammer - Maleficus Geminus (Colossus Matrix 38B - Ultimate Invocation Of The Binary Thaumaturge)     My song pick 2 years ago today: Gentle Giant - Memories of Old Days     My song pick 3 years ago today: The Winery Dogs - Lorelei   My song pick 4 years ago today: Primus - Conspiranoia   My song pick 5 years ago today: Depeche Mode - New Life My song pick 6 years ago today: Yes - Time and a Word My song pick 7 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Commercial Traveler My song pick 8 years ago today: Jefferson Starship - No Way Out My song pick 9 years ago today: Cybotron - Parameters of Consciousness My song...