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

From: Road Runner ; Year: 1966; Genre: Soul/R&B/Motown Was thinking about the landmark film Cooley High last night, which is one I want to watch again, (I'm a) Road Runner was of course included in its amazing soundtrack. There's so much to love about this one; no detractors in the slightest in my biased opinion.   Hear (I'm a) Road Runner on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound     My song pick 2 years ago today: Fairport Convention - Book Song     My song pick 3 years ago today: Heart - Without You   My song pick 4 years ago today: Stanley Clarke - We Supply   My song pick 5 years ago today: ZZ Top - Stages   My song pick 6 years ago today: Jethro Tull - Strip Cartoon   My song pick 7 years ago today: Steve Vai - The Animal My song pick 8 years ago today: Savatage - Strange Wings My song pick 9 years ago today: Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night My song pick 10...

From: Soul Street ; Year: 1974; Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Still have a great deal of Stax Record's music on my mind, so I'm picking one from an artist that I like from their roster. Eddie Floyd is probably most known for his monumental hit Knock on Wood, but had many other great hit tracks, like this one.   Hear Soul Street on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Black Sabbath - Changes     My song pick 2 years ago today: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) - Susie Q     My song pick 3 years ago today: Lakeside - U Got It Goin' On   My song pick 4 years ago today: Genesis - Counting Out Time   My song pick 5 years ago today: Asia - Never Again   My song pick 6 years ago today: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Go Robot   My song pick 7 years ago today: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Trying to Never Catch Up My song pick 8 years ago today: Van der Graaf Generator - Pilgrims My song pick 9 years ago today: Pink Floyd - I...

From: Who's Making Love... ; Year: 1968; Genre: Soul In my spare time over the last week I've been watching a documentary series about the soul hit factory that was Stax Records out of Memphis, Tennessee. I have to say that it is very enlightening to hear about the inner workings of Stax from the people who were there, wrote and made music, as well as the other people who ran it. I've always absolutely loved the music that came out of there, so it is not surprising that I thoroughly enjoy it. Anyway, this is one of the songs that was featured and one that I've always liked. I never knew that Johnny Taylor's Who's Making Love was kind of rebirth of the label after the tragic death of Otis Redding and members of his touring band the Bar-Kays, the loss of their back catalogue to Atlantic Records, as well as the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and all the Civil Rights Movement of which Memphis was one of the major battlefields of it. This track really breathed...

From: LaVern Baker ; Year: 1957; Genre: Rock 'n Roll/R&B I cannot begin to count the sheer amount of times I've heard versions of this song on the radio, television, movies, video games and more over the years. However, this, the original doesn't really get played as much as it should. LaVern Baker has one of those blues/rock 'n roll voices that I just adore; powerful and gritty with sweetness throughout. Just amazing to think that they used to make music this good constantly; made the overall brevity of the song tolerable knowing you'd get another great one to follow it up.     Hear Jim Dandy on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: War - H2Overture     My song pick 2 years ago today: Def Leppard - Rocket     My song pick 3 years ago today: Jigsaw - Just Another Clown   My song pick 4 years ago today: Living Colour - Sunshine Of Your Love   My song pick 5 years ago today: Kansas - All The World   My s...

From: Right Track ; Year: 1981; Genre: Soul Lately I've been really enjoying the music of Soul/R&B/Funk artists/bands, that were best known for their music from the 50s through the 70s, that they released in the 80s and 90s; kind of at the point that their popularity started to ebb. I find a lot of this material that is mostly marginalized to be quite exceptional in reality. With Wilson Pickett, I am admittedly biased with him being one that I like quite a lot, but I really do dig this record in particular and this track is among the highlights for me.   Hear Maybe This Time on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Waylander - Of Fear and Fury     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Trammps - Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart     My song pick 3 years ago today: 10,000 Maniacs - Everyday is Like Sunday   My song pick 4 years ago today: Megadeth - Mastermind   My song pick 5 years ago today: Bootsy Collins - Don't Tak...

From: The Lover in Me ; Year: 1988; Genre: Pop Thinking about this track today and seemed like a great time to choose it; no other reason.     Hear Days Like This on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Ray Stevens - Everything is Beautiful   My song pick 2 years ago today: Lou Rawls - I'm Satisfied     My song pick 3 years ago today: Blondie - Maria   My song pick 4 years ago today: Crash Test Dummies (feat. Ellen Reid) - The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead   My song pick 5 years ago today: Heart - Lost Angel   My song pick 6 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Harvest   My song pick 7 years ago today: Fat Larry's Band - Act Like You Know My song pick 8 years ago today: Laura Branigan - Deep in the Dark My song pick 9 years ago today: Bay City Rollers - I Only Want to Be With You My song pick 10 years ago today: Jethro Tull - One Brown Mouse My song pick 11 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO...

From: The Delfonics ; Year: 1970; Genre: Soul Their music was on my mind as I sat down to make this pick, so decided on choosing one of their most noted hits. There's a whole lot to love about this classic Philadelphia Soul track; I absolutely love those swells and ebbs with the vocal harmonies. Add to that the amazing music behind them that gives your ears a lot to chew on; you'll hear more and more parts of the track each time you play it.    Watch the Soul Train performance on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Bloodrock - Don't Eat the Children     My song pick 2 years ago today: The Jimmy Castor Bunch - My Brightest Day     My song pick 3 years ago today: Rush - Garden Road   My song pick 4 years ago today: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - May I Have a Talk With You   My song pick 5 years ago today: ZZ Top - Legs   My song pick 6 years ago today: Primus - Eclectic Electric   My song pick 7 ye...

From: Mr. Big Stuff ; Year: 1971; Genre: Funk/Soul Probably should have waited until tomorrow to choose this one for Funky Friday, but I love the genre and this track too much.  This one popped into my mind whilst I actually had another song with a similar riff that caused both to start running concurrently, which happens a lot in my head actually. Anyway, this is one of those songs that doesn't have one "standout" aspect(s) that catches my attention, but rather a Gestalt, if you will. The entire makeup from beat to vocal is just so good it has your complete attention from start to finish, which is the hallmark of the Stax Records hit machine. Of course Jean Knight's empowering attitude sells the lyrics and subject matter better that perfect.   Hear Mr. Big Stuff on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - I Don't Live Today     My song pick 2 years ago today: Vanilla Fudge - The Windmills Of Your Mind   ...

From: Zapp II ; Year: 1982; Genre: Funk/R&B This week, like last, just seemed to blow by... probably it's just me. Anyway, for this Friday I knew I wanted to pick something from Roger Troutman; wot a better pick than something from his band Zapp. This one is a non-charting single, but still one of the highlights off of their second album.     Hear Do You Really Want an Answer? on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Bruce Springsteen - My City of Ruins     My song pick 2 years ago today: Al Di Meola - Traces (Of A Tear)   My song pick 3 years ago today: The J. Geils Band - Freeze-Frame   My song pick 4 years ago today: Ray Charles - You'll Never Walk Alone   My song pick 5 years ago today: Fates Warning - Firefly   My song pick 6 years ago today: Jigsaw - Journey Into Space   My song pick 7 years ago today: Kiss - Heaven's on Fire My song pick 8 years ago today: The Supremes - Stop! In the Name of ...

From: Tasty Jam ; Year: 1981; Genre: Funk/R&B Another Funky Friday makes an appearance... this Friday it is this fun funky track from the one and only Fatback!     Hear Kool Whip on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Powerful Stuff     My song pick 2 years ago today: Sniff 'n' The Tears - New Lines on Love   My song pick 3 years ago today: Sky - Tuba Smarties   My song pick 4 years ago today: Focus - Focus 11   My song pick 5 years ago today: Fleet Foxes - Can I Believe You   My song pick 6 years ago today: Pearl Jam - Retrograde   My song pick 7 years ago today: King Crimson - Epitaph My song pick 8 years ago today: Heart - Bad Animals My song pick 9 years ago today: Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence My song pick 10 years ago today: Lawrence Gowan - (You're a) Strange Animal My song pick 11 years ago today: Sly and the Family Stone - Frisky My ...

From: Rockin' Roll Baby ; Year: 1973; Genre: Soul There is something ethereal about the Philadelphia sound, especially when the late-great Thom Bell was involved. Wot I have always loved about The Stylistics is their enormous and sweeping sound that is present in all its glory on this song. I really cannot say that I have one aspect that jumps out at me. For me, this is a gestalt situation where every piece is placed perfectly with the mastery of every single person involved. This is one of those tracks that I can just keep restarting over and over and not get tired of it for quite a while.    Hear Rockin' Roll Baby on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Black 47 - Sleep Tight In New York City / Her Dear Old Donegal     My song pick 2 years ago today: Dickey Betts - Highway Call   My song pick 3 years ago today: Robin Trower - Too Rolling Stoned   My song pick 4 years ago today: Skid Row - Riot Act   My song pick 5 ye...

From: Machine Gun ; Year: 1974; Genre: Soul/Funk/Rock Just had some Lionel Richie on my mind; I decided for today's pick that I'd go way back to the Commodores' debut studio record with this track that caught my ear. I tell ya, if you are used to only their mainstream hits you are in for a surprise. A lot heavier and funk/rock driven, but great to hear!      Hear The Zoo (The Human Zoo) on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Cameo - Am I Bad Enough     My song pick 2 years ago today: John Denver - Mother Nature's Son   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rossington Collins Band - Don't Misunderstand Me   My song pick 4 years ago today: ABBA - Just a Notion   My song pick 5 years ago today: Jigsaw - Freud Fish   My song pick 6 years ago today: Rush - Faithless   My song pick 7 years ago today: Our Lady Peace - Starseed My song pick 8 years ago today: David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) My son...

From: Hot Heat And Sweet Groove ; Year: 1968; Genre: Soul/Funk Was really enjoying some music from Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band this morning and decided that I should choose another one of their songs. Kinda strange, but while I absolutely love their music, I never really looked into the specifics of the band. I discovered, to my amazement, that this band has gone through a few name changes and thus, makes "connecting the dots" so to speak, a little more challenging. Charles Wright was originally in a number of Doo-Wop groups early on, but this band apparently started out as "Charles Wright and the Wright Sounds," which began in 1962; around '66 and '67 they seemingly went by the name "The Soul Runners." At some point in '67 to '68 they became this incarnation that recorded today's pick and album and by 1970 became the most successful incarnation that was the verbose "Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd ...

From: Portrait ; Year: 1970; Genre: Soft Rock/Soul/Pop Yesterday I discovered that founding member of The Fifth Dimension, Lamonte McLemore passed away. He had a lot of credits as an artists, photographer and actor, besides being a singer/musician/composer; definitely a great person who left a mark on multiple places.   Hear One Less Bell to Answer on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Jackyl - My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine's Ass     My song pick 2 years ago today: Sylvia - Cry Just a Little Bit   My song pick 3 years ago today: John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu - Mitch Match   My song pick 4 years ago today: George Harrison - This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)   My song pick 5 years ago today: Slade - Let the Good Times Roll/Feel So Fine   My song pick 6 years ago today: The Kinks - Nothing Lasts Forever   My song pick 7 years ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - Getaway My song pick 8 years ago today: Crowde...

From: Only Four You ; Year: 1985; Genre: R&B/Funk Third pick of my Satanic Panic theme. This was another one from the PMRC's "Filthy 15" songs that they vilified mostly with wild and unfounded accusations. The Mary Jane Girls are considered to be a "one-hit wonder" with this one being that hit. Although, they did have some others that did chart, just not in the "Top 40;" two other songs of theirs just missed it at numbers 41 and 42. If you count others, like the R&B or Dance charts, then they'd have 5 and 6 hits respectively. Anyway, this group were proteges of musical legend Rick James, who also wrote and produced this song and album.   Hear In My House on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Steve Vai - Die to Live     My song pick 2 years ago today: Billy Idol - Blue Christmas   My song pick 3 years ago today: Chris Squire and Alan White - Run With the Fox   My song pick 4 years ago today: Rush - Cold Fire   My so...

From: In the Christmas Spirit ; Year: 1966; Genre: Soul/R&B/Christmas Music Yesterday I learned of the passing of legendary writer and guitarist Steve Cropper. Even if you do not know him by name, you have heard his music without a doubt. He has to be right up there with the most recorded musicians, especially guitarists, in the last century. Booker T. & The M.G.'s were Stax Records in-house band and played behind most of the soul and rock acts out of the 1960s and 1970s. The band was most notably made up of Booker T. Jones on keys, Steve Cropper on guitar, Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass, and Al Jackson Jr. on drums. They were the most famous of the few "house bands" and were known outside the studio by name; their biggest hit is probably Green Onions . Anyway, I suppose I could have gone with one of the many, many artists that he played with, but it just seemed right to pick one from the original band. Because it is also the Christmas season I thought I...

From: KC and the Sunshine Band ; Year: 1975; Genre: Disco/Funk/Soul/R&B Most people, even those born after 1990 have probably heard it at some point. Be it in a film, TV show, video clip, commercial, sampled for another track, etc....   Hear Get Down Tonight on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: The Cheers - Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots     My song pick 2 years ago today: Jim Ed Brown - Sunday Morning We'll Be Singing   My song pick 3 years ago today: Frank Mills - Music Box Dancer   My song pick 4 years ago today: Kool & The Gang - Let the Music Take Your Mind   My song pick 5 years ago today: Eric Clapton - Pilgrim   My song pick 6 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult -  Let Go   My song pick 7 years ago today: Head East - Since You've Been Gone My song pick 8 years ago today: Bill Haley and his Comets - Shake, Rattle and Roll My song pick 9 years ago today: Kansas - Fight Fire With F...

From: The Miracles doin' Mickey's Monkey ; Year: 1963; Genre: Motown/Soul/R&B Here's one that will sure get you dancin' with that catchy Bo Diddley rhythm. Most probably have heard Mickey's Monkey at some point; it actually was written about the popular dance, The Monkey , and helped to propel it to a national level for a time. They reference legendary songwriter William "Mickey" Stevenson in the lyrics even though I do not believe he was involved with the song or dance; this song was written by another legendary team: Holland-Dozier-Holland. Wot's very interesting about this song is just how many Motown superstars performed for the backing vocals: The Temptations, Mary Wilson (of the Supremes), Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, The Marvelettes, and the renowned disc jockey and radio personality "Jockey Jack" Gibson , and of course the incomparable Funk Brothers.    Hear Mickey's Monkey on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago tod...