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

From: Bad to the Bone ; Year: 1982; Genre: Blues Rock Had a few other songs in mind as a possible pick today, but just kept having George Thorogood and the Destroyers' music on my mind; again, took it as a sign I should choose something from them. It used to be hard for me to seek out and listen to this band, mostly due to the sheer overplay they used to, and probably still, receive on radio airplay. Bad to the Bone had to be one of that frankly got played into the ground. Lately though, since I kind of quit listening to the radio, enough time has passed that I can enjoy it when I do hear them it's actually quite enjoyable.   Watch the music video on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: John Denver - The Game Is Over     My song pick 2 years ago today: Uriah Heep - Rainbow Demon     My song pick 3 years ago today: Counting Crows - August And Everything After   My song pick 4 years ago today: 3rd Secret - Last Day of August ...

From: Motel California ; Year: 1996; Genre: Alternative Metal/Rap Rock I do not know why, just wanted to go with something from Ugly Kid Joe today. Also decided on going with one off of this album, which I have not picked one off of yet. Motel California was released just prior to the band breaking up and going their separate ways with other bands and such until reuniting back in 2010. You can really feel that they were getting burned out by this time and probably calling it quits was the best course of action. A great deal of the music on this one was essentially doing the same music and ideas the other popular metal bands were creating. Good thing though is that after getting back together that "spark" and originality they were known for has been ever-present.   Watch the music video on YouTube.          My song pick 1 year ago today: Loverboy - Working for the Weekend     My song pick 2 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - I'm An Animal...

From: It's a Shame About Ray ; Year: 1992; Genre: Alternative Rock/Punk I just had this one on the 'ol brain last night and felt like picking it today. I remember this song, and the rest of the album for that matter; my sister had it and listened to it a lot back then. It's a Shame About Ray is one of those records with a bunch of short tracks with a lot of energy, which was wot I remember the most of the Lemonheads.   Hear Bit Part on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Eric Burdon and War - Magic Mountain     My song pick 2 years ago today: Rare Earth - I Couldn't Believe What Happened Last Night     My song pick 3 years ago today: Diana Ross - Touch Me in the Morning   My song pick 4 years ago today: Nazareth - Love Hurts   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Nice - Hang on to a Dream   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Grass Roots - The River Is Wide   My song pick 7 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult -...

From: So Happy ; Year: 1989; Genre: Funk/New Jack Swing Thankfully I am not picking a song from someone who passed away today. Although yesterday Peter Cullin, who voiced many characters like Transformers ' Optimus Prime and Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh amongst many other credits, did sadly pass away. Back in the 1980s it seemed though that many famous movie and television stars recorded some music on the side; of course Eddie Murphy is one of them. Whilst this record didn't fare so well, it is one that I like the most; just the super deep list of huge talent he worked along side alone makes it very good.   Hear Let's Get With It on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Stan Bush - The Touch     My song pick 2 years ago today: Kansas - Icarus - Born On Wings of Steel     My song pick 3 years ago today: Pendragon - The Last Man on Earth   My song pick 4 years ago today: Eddie Hazel - Until It Rains   My song pick 5 years ...

From: Fearless ; Year: 1979; Genre: Glam Rock Damn, we lost another legend within a day of one another. Tim Curry is an actor and performer that I admire a lot. There are too many roles I loved over the years to list; but suffice it to say: the man was brilliant at his trade. Ever since 2012 he's been wheelchair bound due to a severe stroke and a variety of other maladies since, so it is probably a nice release for the suffering acting legend. He will be really missed even with his extensive film, stage, musical, and other endeavours he had worked on. Anyway, some might not have known that Tim Curry had an actual recording career outside of the film and stage musicals that he performed on. I believe he recorded a total of three records from 1978 to 1981 with Fearless being the one in the middle. This was one of the singles from it; I am not too sure of the overall success of the record and this track, but from wot I've read he did score his best single from this album, althoug...

From: Coat of Many Colors ; Year: 1971; Genre: Country Along with many others yesterday I was shocked when I heard of Dolly Parton's passing. However, with how private she was about her personal life it was no shock that she kept her cancer battle out of the headlines, and rightly so. Anyway, I refer to Dolly's music personally and "Mom Music" because she was among her biggest fans over the years and this is one of my Mom's favourite songs that she wrote. This one is autobiographical and tells the story of how she grew up in extreme poverty and her mother had to sew together some fabric remnants to make her a winter coat. As she made the rags into a coat her mother recited the story of Joseph from The Bible, which made it all the more special. However, the other children ridiculed her for wearing such a coat and tried to tell them about how special it was, but it seemed they would not listen. She brings the song to a perfect close with her profound statement: ...

From: Joystick ; Year: 1983; Genre: Funk/R&B/Electronica Another day of picking a band whose music was playing in my mind a lot. I really like this piece of funky electronica; such great music and a groove to die for.   Hear Straight Out Of School on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Jethro Tull - The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Motels - Only the Lonely     My song pick 3 years ago today: Brick - Dusic   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Just For You   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rage Against the Machine - Beautiful World   My song pick 7 years ago today: ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man My song pick 8 years ago today: Midnight Oil - Put Down That Weapon My song pick 9 years ago today: Dayton Sidewinders - Funky Chicken Stew My song pick 10 years ago today...

From: Voices of Babylon ; Year: 1989; Genre: Rock Just felt like revisiting and picking another one from The Outfield. A great track from their third outing, which has quite a nice melodic groove and sound to it.   Hear Voices of Babylon on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Ad Libs - The Boy From New York City     My song pick 2 years ago today: Buck Owens and His Buckaroos - I've Got a Tiger By the Tail     My song pick 3 years ago today: Billy Joel - Summer, Highland Falls   My song pick 4 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Positively 4th Street   My song pick 5 years ago today: Robin Trower - Same Rain Falls   My song pick 6 years ago today: Classics IV - Spooky   My song pick 7 years ago today: Black Sabbath - E5150 My song pick 8 years ago today: Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay My song pick 9 years ago today: ZZ Top - I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide My song pick 10 years ago today: Spooky Tooth - Better By You, B...

From: End of the World ; Year: 1968; Genre: Psychedelic Rock From time to time I go back to Aphrodite's Child and their gorgeous music; I'm glad I did last night once more. Rain and Tears , which was their first big hit and was particularly popular in Italy and across northern Europe; I do not know how it did on this side of "The Pond," but if it didn't we really missed out. Evangelos Papathanassiou (aka Vangelis) and Boris Bergman wrote this piece around the overly used motif of Johann Pachelbel's famous Canon in D, P.37 . Immediately you will recognize the melody, but once they start to introduce and reintroduce their themes and vocals, their musical masterwork embellishes around the skeletal motif into something really amazing and beautiful. I cannot help but keep on resetting the needle over again and again.   Hear Rain and Tears on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Pearl Jam - Why Go     My song pick 2 years ago today: James Brown -...

From: East Side Story ; Year: 1981; Genre: New Wave Yet another song that I was sure I already had chosen.... Truthfully, I have known this song very well for a long time, but never looked in to who it was exactly that recorded it. Actually, the English new wave band Squeeze was and is quite popular, just more so in Britain of course, but had a few other hits over here.   Hear Tempted on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - Easy Rider     My song pick 2 years ago today: Modest Petrovitch Mussorgsky - Misunderstood One     My song pick 3 years ago today: Rush - Face Up   My song pick 4 years ago today: Jigsaw - Baby Don't Do It   My song pick 5 years ago today: Clifford Brown and Max Roach - Sandu   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rush - Between Sun & Moon   My song pick 7 years ago today: Styx - Superstars My song pick 8 years ago today: Kajagoogoo - Too Shy ...

From: Movements Vol.10 ; Year: 2020 (1976); Genre: Funk/Rock I could not remember if I had chosen a song from Volume 10 of the Movements compilation album series, but even if I already have, this is another great song from it. I have to say, ever since I discovered Tobias Kirmayer's compilations it has been a deep and seemingly endless well of some amazing music that I normally would not have been introduced to! This one is/was the final song on the album that was written and recorded by a funk rock band from Atlanta, Georgia by the name of Starfoxx. They apparently scored a couple of hits in the mid-late 1970s. Honestly, I have never heard of them prior, but, as I've said: better late than never; and glad I did.   Hear Oh Linda on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Rolling Stones - Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)     My song pick 2 years ago today: Eric Clapton featuring Tina Turner - Tearing Us Apart   My song pick 3 years a...

From: Four Foot Shack ; Year: 2014; Genre: Folk/Country Got this album the other day and have been bemused and entertained to say the least. Duo De Twang is a weird side-project by Primus frontman and soundtrack maker extraordinare Les Claypool and his longtime friend and guitarist for the band M.I.R.V.: Bryan Kehoe. Everything they do is stripped-back and folk/country covers and original material. Anyway, this has to be one of the most unique covers of the Alice in Chains classic grunge standard, and they do it as weirdly as you would expect.   Hear Man in the Box on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Queen - Don't Try Suicide     My song pick 2 years ago today: Robin Trower - The Fool and Me     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jerry Reed - When You're Hot, You're Hot   My song pick 4 years ago today: Billy Joel - Turn Around   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Bertha Butt Encounters Vadar ...

From: Recycler ; Year: 1990; Genre: Blues Rock Yesterday I saw that ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard passed away. Recently I saw that they had to cancel some shows and I wondered if someone was not doing well; sadly, my suspicions ended up being correct. I knew that I should choose another one from the group today. Whilst they are not one of my top favourites, I have always liked their music and enjoy it every time I hear it. Their adherence to the southern blues that you can really dance to and is quite technical to boot really made ZZ Top a relevant act for so many decades to this day.   Hear My Head's in Mississippi on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Late Night Street Fight     My song pick 2 years ago today: Hawklords (Hawkwind) - The Age of the Micro Man     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Sossity; You're a Woman   My song pick 4 years ago today: Roger - Do It Roger   My song pick 5 ...

From: Bounce ; Year: 2002; Genre: Rock Difficult to believe that it was 25 years ago that Bounce was released, which was the last full album by Bon Jovi that I still like to this day. Also, being that it was released a couple of months after my wife and I married, and her being a big Bon Jovi fan made it quite memorable.     Hear Undivided on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice     My song pick 2 years ago today: Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs - May I     My song pick 3 years ago today: Alley Pat - Pat's Rubber Band   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Doors - Love Street   My song pick 5 years ago today: Benny Carter - Cotton Tail   My song pick 6 years ago today: Mr. Big - Defying Gravity   My song pick 7 years ago today: Rush - Double Agent My song pick 8 years ago today: Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - Sugar Shack ...

From: Hot A' Mighty! ; Year: 1973; Genre: Country/Rock Mr. Reed will always be an artist that really is difficult to pigeon-hole into a single genre, which is true of the majority of "pickers." Basically pickers were wot people referred to your more "down home" guitar/stringed virtuosos that came out of the folky styles of music like folk, blues, country, and early rock 'n roll. Jerry Reed is probably best-known for fusing country with funk and rock, which he perfected. Anyway, this one, whilst primarily is country, you can hear and feel him taking pieces from across the musical spectrum to masterfully assemble this one. Lyrically/vocally he does his normal great delivery is such an upbeat and happy way.   Hear You Took All the Ramblin' Out of Me on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Pink Floyd - Echoes     My song pick 2 years ago today: Journey - Faithfully     My song pick 3 years ago today: Elton John - The Bitch Is Back   My...

From: Loggins and Messina ; Year: 1972; Genre: Rock 'n Roll Last few days this one has been jumping around in my mind, so as usual I decided on picking it. There is a certain timeless quality to this track, mostly due it them leaning heavy into the blues aspects of rock 'n roll as well as having simple-but-effective lyrics and a singalong chorus.   Watch a live performance on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Hawkwind - You Know You're Only Dreaming     My song pick 2 years ago today: Marcus Miller - Teen Town     My song pick 3 years ago today: Primus - Jilly's On Smack   My song pick 4 years ago today: Michael Masser - You Don't Ever Have to Be Alone   My song pick 5 years ago today: John Coltrane - Moment's Notice   My song pick 6 years ago today: James & Bobby Purify - I'm Your Puppet   My song pick 7 years ago today: The (Detroit) Spinners - Four Hands In The Fire My song pick 8 years ago today: P...

From: Circling from Above ; Year: 2025; Genre: Progressive Rock Had this, the most recent album from Styx, on my mind for the last bit; certainly you know the rest.... Anyway, Forgive is one that Tommy Shaw and Lawrence Gowan share the lead vocals and perform some amazing harmonies; you can definitely hear some Beatles influence in those harmonies amongst others. The guitar work is, of course, amazing as always and lends itself to the original Styx sound we so love.   Watch the music video on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Bootsy's New Rubber Band - Funk Me Dirty     My song pick 2 years ago today: B.T. Express - Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Allman Brothers Band - Pegasus   My song pick 4 years ago today: Vixen - Cryin'   My song pick 5 years ago today: Weather Report - Surucucú   My song pick 6 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Summer Lady   My song pick 7 years ago toda...

From: Your Wish is my Command ; Year: 1981; Genre: Funk/Soul Cannot help but have a huge grin across my face when boogieing down to Lakeside; just excellent sounds.     Hear Magic Moments on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Turtles - It Ain't Me Babe   My song pick 2 years ago today: Automat - The Genus     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Mrs. Tibbets   My song pick 4 years ago today: Savatage - Awaken   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - Cut to the Chase   My song pick 6 years ago today: Funkadelic - Tales of Kidd Funkadelic (Opusdelite Years)   My song pick 7 years ago today: The Moody Blues - No More Lies My song pick 8 years ago today: 3 Inches of Blood - Wykydtron My song pick 9 years ago today: Deep Purple - Call of the Wild My song pick 10 years ago today: The Lively Ones - Surf Rider My song pick 11 years ago today: The Rhythm Machine - You Got Action, You Got Me ...

From: Yeah! ; Year: 1973; Genre: Hard Rock Most younger individuals probably remember the Motley Crüe cover of this song, but, while they did do a great job of it, I'll always prefer the original. Although, having the awesome character actor  Michael Berryman play the principle in the music video is about as epic as you can get.    Watch a live performance from Midnight Special on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: UB40 - Groovin'     My song pick 2 years ago today: Ronnie Milsap - Let's Take the Long Way Around the World     My song pick 3 years ago today: The Temptations - Smiling Faces Sometimes   My song pick 4 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Occasional Demons   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get   My song pick 6 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Radioactive Toy   My song pick 7 years ago today: Dick Dale and The Del-Tones - Miserlou My song pick 8 year...