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

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: Rebel Yell ; Year: 1983; Genre: Hard Rock Earlier I had this one playing in my mind as if it was on the radio, so you know wot I am intending for today's pick. I don't know what it is about this song, but it's just one that makes you want to sing and dance along with it. And of course you have Steve Stevens showing off his severely underrated guitar mastery. Funny though, a long time ago I started changing his "More!" lyric into "Moe!," as in the leader of The Three Stooges . Even to this day I picture some woman in the throes ecstasy calling out for Moe Howard ; still laugh a little.   Hear Rebel Yell on YouTube.          My song pick 1 year ago today: Yes - Sweet Dreams     My song pick 2 years ago today: Bay City Rollers - Rock n' Roll Love Letter     My song pick 3 years ago today: Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You   My song pick 4 years ago today: Anita Ward - Ring My Bell   My song pick 5 years ago t...

From: Blanc Burn ; Year: 2011; Genre: New Wave/Synthpop Finally got to put this one on the other day and all I can say is that it immediately put a smile on my face. There are heavy times where such light and whimsical songs are just wot the doctor ordered so to speak; this is one of them in spades!    Hear I'm Having a Coffee on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Mac Davis - I Believe In Music     My song pick 2 years ago today: Joe Cocker - Something     My song pick 3 years ago today: Johnny Rodriguez - Erez tú   My song pick 4 years ago today: Stanley Clarke - More Hot Fun   My song pick 5 years ago today: Cheap Trick - Ain't That a Shame   My song pick 6 years ago today: Marcus Miller - Superspy   My song pick 7 years ago today: Seals & Crofts - Diamond Girl My song pick 8 years ago today: Rick James - Call Me Up My song pick 9 years ago today: Chris Squire - Hold Out Your Hand My song pi...

From: Freeze Frame ; Year: 1981; Genre: Rock/New Wave For the last couple of weeks I've had some of J. Geils Band's music on the brain; this track is one in particular. Inside this rather catchy and fun song is an interesting tale that on the surface seems a bit racy, but it is really about the ruining of static memories from your past. In this case the man is regaling the listener about a dream girl from high school he had a serious crush on; in his mind she was still the innocent schoolgirl. However, after seeing her in the centerfold of an adult magazine, she is no longer that innocent girl from his memories, but has continued her life and is now a woman. Much of the song is about him coming to terms with it and accepting this new reality about someone special from his past.   Hear Centerfold on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Michael Jackson - Ben   My song pick 2 years ago today: John Williams - The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) ...

From: Points on the Curve ; Year: 1983; Genre: New Wave Heard this one on the television the other day and knew it was an upcoming pick. Dance Hall Days is another one of those infectious early 1980s new wave classics that just makes you feel like moving and puts you in a good mood.   Hear Dance Hall Days on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Elvis Presley - Guitar Man     My song pick 2 years ago today: Lead Belly - Midnight Special   My song pick 3 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Teen Archer   My song pick 4 years ago today: Triumph - Rock & Roll Machine   My song pick 5 years ago today: Bootsy's Rubber Band - Chug-A-Lug (The Bun Patrol)   My song pick 6 years ago today: Mastodon - Asleep in the Deep   My song pick 7 years ago today: Uriah Heep - Fallen Angel My song pick 8 years ago today: Depeche Mode - Strangelove My song pick 9 years ago today: Billy Joel - Uptown Girl My song pick 10 years...

From: Empty Glass ; Year: 1980; Genre: Rock I must've heard this one recently because it has been on my mind for the last day or so. I knew Pete Townshend wrote and sung on this track, always thought there was a recording of it on a Who album too, but I guess I was in error. I really like the bass and drums in particular; definitely the song's driving force.    Hear Let My Love Open the Door on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Grand Funk Railroad - The Loco-Motion     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Young Girl's Heart   My song pick 3 years ago today: Toto - 99   My song pick 4 years ago today: Lou Reed - Men of Good Fortune   My song pick 5 years ago today: Victor Wooten - Joe's Journey   My song pick 6 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Fighting for Strangers   My song pick 7 years ago today: Dire Straits - Romeo & Juliet My song pick 8 years ago today: James Brown - I Got Yo...

From: Cargo ; Year: 1983; Genre: New Wave Having Men at Work on my brain today; I have not chosen one of their songs in quite some time, and only one to boot. This is one of their better hits that, even if you don't know it by title, you should immediately recognize it especially if you were around in the '80s and '90s. Although it has been in and out of popular culture over the years, so some younger individuals might know it from a television programme or such. One I do remember was in an episode of the T.V. series Scrubs where a character suffering from insomnia was having a hallucination of Colin Hay, who comically kept bothering him by singing an acoustic version of the song.   Hear Overkill on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Three Dog Night - Time To Get Alone     My song pick 2 years ago today: Ray Stevens - The Rockin' Teenage Mummies   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Hollies - Carrie Anne   My song pick 4 year...

From: Märchenblau ; Year: 1983; Genre: Neue Deutsche Welle Had a hankering to hear something from Joachim Witt this morning. It has been quite some time since I picked one of his songs, so here's another one. Love the mix of the funky rhythm with the German new wave sound; extremely interesting in its own right, but kind of unique from something more mainstream.   Hear Rhythmus im Blut on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Hawkwind - Blue Shift     My song pick 2 years ago today: Sho Nuff - Monster Monster   My song pick 3 years ago today: Wishbone Ash - Anger in Harmony   My song pick 4 years ago today: Eurythmics - Missionary Man   My song pick 5 years ago today: Green River - Together We'll Never   My song pick 6 years ago today: Chris Squire - Safe (Canon Song)   My song pick 7 years ago today: The Chi-lites - Have You Seen Her? My song pick 8 years ago today: Roy Ayers - Funk in the Hole My song pick 9 y...

From: Irene & Mavis ; Year: 1980; Genre: Synthpop/Electronic Rock Just recently discovered this early EP from Blancmange that predates their debut album Happy Families by a couple of years. It is really neat hearing the duo in a more embryonic state musically, this instrumental track is one of my favourite thus far.   Hear Holiday Camp on YouTube.        My song pick 1 year ago today: Golden Earring - Future     My song pick 2 years ago today: ABBA - The Name of the Game   My song pick 3 years ago today: Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Cosmic Sound Orchestra - Fight   My song pick 5 years ago today: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - If You Leave   My song pick 6 years ago today: Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth   My song pick 7 years ago today: Midnight Oil - King of the Mountain My song pick 8 years ago today: The Wootens - Do I Do My song pick 9 year...

From: Cookin' on the Roof ; Year: 1983; Genre: Pop/Rock/Swing This often overlooked and underappreciated '80s swing/rock/new wave group happens to be on my mind since yesterday, so I'm picking another one of their songs. This one will make you feel like dancing without a doubt.   Hear Furs 'n High Heels on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Dio - Hide in the Rainbow     My song pick 2 years ago today: Waylon Jennings - Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way   My song pick 3 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Love City   My song pick 4 years ago today: Billy Joel - Don't Ask Me Why   My song pick 5 years ago today: R.E.M. - Man on the Moon   My song pick 6 years ago today: Brook Benton - Rainy Night in Georgia My song pick 7 years ago today: Porcupine Tree - Way Out of Here My song pick 8 years ago today: Cyndi Lauper - All Through The Night My song pick 9 years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central...

From: Love in Motion (single); Year: 1981; Genre: New Wave Having music from the band Icehouse on the brain thus far today and took it once again as a sign I needed to revisit the group. Whilst Icehouse had already been known by that name abroad, but, their first album, Icehouse , in their native Australia and related area the band was still named Flowers, so technically Love in Motion was Icehouse's debut single, at least at home. This song would, however, eventually be included on future releases of both the original Icehouse album and their second Primitive Man .     Hear Love in Motion on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: War - Seven Tin Soldiers     My song pick 2 years ago today: Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Nightwatchman - Which Side Are You On?   My song pick 4 years ago today: Manfred Mann - Fox on the Run   My song pick 5 years ago today: Foreigner - Inside I...

From: Information Society ; Year: 1988; Genre: New Wave For some reason was drawing an absolute blank today for this song pick, not sure why though. Anyway, I happened to scroll through bands that I have chosen songs from and noticed that I had only picked one from Information Society, so thought it would be a great time to fix that. This is one of their secondary hits from their first proper studio album, which feature a great thumping dance beat and, or course more Star Trek voice samples from William Shatner (Kirk) and James Doohan (Scotty).    Hear Walking Away on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Jerry Reed - Wayfaring Stranger     My song pick 2 years ago today: Marillion - Torch Song   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rick James - Mr. Policeman   My song pick 4 years ago today: Pendragon - Ghosts   My song pick 5 years ago today: Buffalo Springfield - Rock and Roll Woman   My song pick 6 years ago today: H...

From: Call of the West ; Year: 1982; Genre: New Wave Been really busy the last few days and have had random songs surface and recede whilst going about life. This was one of them and I absolutely knew I had to pick it. Definitely a unique composition that just "ticks" all the boxes for a memorable and timeless song. About the only band that comes to mind that is even close to them in sound in my opinion is Primus/Les Claypool; really surprised they've never done a cover of it.      Hear Mexican Radio on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Neil Diamond - Shilo     My song pick 2 years ago today: Automat - Droid   My song pick 3 years ago today: Paul Revere & The Raiders - Hungry   My song pick 4 years ago today: Cybotron - Encounter   My song pick 5 years ago today: Soundgarden - Bleed Together   My song pick 6 years ago today: Focus - Sylvia   My song pick 7 years ago today: Funkadelic - (Not Just) K...

From: Ha!-Ha!-Ha! ; Year: 1977; Genre: Punk/New Wave The sophomore album from Ultravox!, who still had the exclamation in their name and John Foxx with lead vocals for the band. Much more raw and punky sound than their better known material, but still one I like a lot. I just love the in-your-face attitude they had with this one, (which was the first single released from the record), not only musically, but with all the raunchy and bawdy lyrics with enough sneer and distortion that they blew right past the censors; how punk is that?   Hear ROckWrok on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Foreigner - Headknocker     My song pick 2 years ago today: Badfinger - Timeless   My song pick 3 years ago today: Toad The Wet Sprocket - Come Back Down   My song pick 4 years ago today: Ambrosia - Holdin' On To Yesterday   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash   My song pick 6 years ago today: Billy Joel ...

From: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ; Year: 1982; Genre: Alternative Rock Used to always get excited this time of year, but it just seems like all things joyful have been fleeting. So, been trying to keep things positive and look for something good and beautiful lately, but it is easier said than done.... Anyway, don't want to be a downer on here and to spread clinical depression to the few who show up and read my schlop. Still, I find it interesting when I go and listen to one of my absolute favourite bands, in this case The 'Oils, I only seem to focus on the negative aspects of their music, which is very easy in their case, being that the vast majority of their music is about some societal ill and a call to action to mend it. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, in fact, that was one of the main draws that originally got me into the band all the way back in the 1980s, well... that and their amazing music, of course. It is just so sad and disheartening that the message they tac...

From: Neruda ; Year: 1983; Genre: Rock Had Red Rider's music on the brain today, thought I would pick one of their songs today. I really like that early 1980s heavy rock sound on this track.   Hear Power (Strength in Numbers) on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Billy Squier - The Stroke     My song pick 2 years ago today: Marcus Miller - Be My Love   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1983... (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Toad The Wet Sprocket - Something's Always Wrong   My song pick 5 years ago today: Uriah Heep - Love or Nothing   My song pick 6 years ago today: Waylander - Twin Fires of Beltíne   My song pick 7 years ago today: Rush - Tai Shan My song pick 8 years ago today: Jaco Pastorius - Vampira My song pick 9 years ago today: Talking Heads - Psycho Killer My song pick 10 years ago today: Asia - Open Your Eyes My song pick 11 years a...

From: The Cars ; Year: 1978; Genre: New Wave/Rock Discovered another band that I have only chosen a single song from thus far. This one's also kind of a surprise to me; whilst I am not the biggest fan of the band, overall I like their music. Good Times Roll  in particular has always been one of my top favourites from The Cars.     Hear  Good Times Roll on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Guess Who - Talisman     My song pick 2 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Midnight Blue   My song pick 3 years ago today: Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft   My song pick 4 years ago today: The Who - 5.15   My song pick 5 years ago today: The Delfonics - Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love) My song pick 6 years ago today: Foghat - Fool for the City My song pick 7 years ago today: Asia - Daylight My song pick 8 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Lowlands of Holland My song pick 9...

From: Hard Machine ; Year: 1986; Genre: New Wave/Pop Here is another that I have not heard probably in over 35 year or more, but it comes and goes in my mind nevertheless. Finally thought I would try to find out the song's title and who performed it, but all the search engines were giving me utter crap and non-sequitur results for the lyrics I could remember almost like all of them were intentionally misleading me. Finally I had to think of female vocalists from back in the 80s and 90s who sung in a lower register, which actually does not narrow it down all that much with how many women in music back then did not get into earsplitting range as much. I think my brain actually knew who it was because Stacy Q's was one of the first that came to mind, and sure enough, I was right. Very much mid '80s electronic new wave pop, but has actually aged extremely well. The River especially reminds me a lot of Duran Duran musically, which is probably the main reason why I really like it...

From: That Summer! (Soundtrack); Year: 1979; Genre: New Wave Haven't listened to the Zones in a while, so I am and choosing one of their songs as well. Whilst the band only lasted for a brief period and featured a single studio album, member went on to other acts that became even more famous. New Life was their contribution to the soundtrack of the '79 film That Summer! , which featured many other new wave/post punk bands that were big at the time.     Hear New Life on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Johnny Rivers - Seventh Son     My song pick 2 years ago today: Rare Earth - Satisfaction Guaranteed   My song pick 3 years ago today: Meat Loaf - You Took the Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Saturday Night)   My song pick 4 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Cam Ye O'er Frae France   My song pick 5 years ago today: Hawkwind - The Road To...   My song pick 6 years ago today: Lacy J. Dalton - 16th Avenue My...