Category: Music

#MusicMonday I Feel Alright

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In order of appearance: Eric Burdon, Steve Winwood, Long John Baldry (you’ll understand why he was called “Long John” when you watch the video), Julie Driscoll, and Rod Stewart, before a bird’s nest landed on his head. Check out Rod’s moves! Lots of great R&B shouting and energy all around.

One Reginald Dwight took half of his stage name after Long John Baldry; the other half he took from saxophonist Elton Dean. He, of course, became Elton John.

Julie Driscoll is probably best known for singing Ab Fab’s theme song This Wheel’s on Fire.

#MusicMonday Sarah Vaughan

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Sarah Vaughan commemorative stamp
Sarah Vaughan commemorative stamp

The US Postal Service issued the Sarah Vaughan Forever® Stamp on March 29, 2016:

The musically inclined Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) played piano, then organ, and finally realized her vocal talent singing in the church choir. Her voice ranged over three octaves, and she exercised control over it; swooping from high to low and back. Early in Vaughan’s career she toured with many of the great jazz musicians of the day, and incorporated some of their styles into her own. Later, she recorded both jazz and pop songs as a solo artist. Remarkably, her voice did not diminish with time; she sang with her signature interpretive power for the whole of her five-decade career.

Source: Sarah Vaughan Forever® Stamps | USPS

#MusicMonday Baby (You got what it takes)

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The Dinah Washington Facebook Page drew attention to Brook and Dinah’s Dream Duet on uDiscover:

It was 25 January 1960 that a dream duet took flight. ‘Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)’ made its debut on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts on on this date for one of the hot new male singers of the era, Brook Benton, and a female vocalist who had been popular since World War II, Dinah Washington.

Here is Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes) for your Monday listening pleasure:

I “discovered” Dinah Washington through The Ultimate Diva Collection album.  It was a revelatory experience: where had she been all my life?

#MusicMondays Alma Cogan “Hello, Young Lovers”

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On our long trip home from India, I whiled away the hours by listening to music on the in-flight entertainment system.  I looked over the playlists and played some of the Leonard Cohen playlist (natch!), but what piqued my curiosity was a playlist featuring Alma Cogan.  Who is Alma Cogan?  Never heard of her.

Here’s what I found out:  Alma Cogan was Britain’s highest paid female entertainer in the 1950s.  In the 1960s, she got swept away by the Beatles and was considered passé.  There are, however, unsubstantiated rumors that she had an affair with John Lennon. She died young, at age 34, in 1966.

For our #MusicMondays feature, here is Alma Cogan singing “Hello Young Lovers”:

What do you think about that dress? I love it. Alma Cogan studied fashion design, and she might have designed those hoop dresses herself.

Alma Cogan - I Love to Sing
Alma Cogan – I Love to Sing

Dionne Warwick – I say a little prayer for you – #MusicMonday

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I pay tribute to lyricist Hal David, who died last week at age 91, in this week’s #MusicMonday feature.  Hal David was best known for his collaborations with Burt Bacharach.  In the 1960s, Dionne Warwick interpreted many of their songs.  Here’s a video, actually a montage of pictures of Dionne from the sixties, that features Bacharach/David’s “I Say a Little Prayer for You”:


And the relevance to what’s ostensibly a beauty blog? Check out the opening verse:

The moment I wake up 
Before I put on my make up 
I say a little prayer for you 
While combing my hair now 
And wond’ring what dress to wear now 
I say a little prayer for you.

Bobby Short for Charlie #MusicMonday

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Following on my last #MusicMonday feature Mel Tormé for Charlie #MusicMonday, I present Bobby Short for Charlie.  Bobby Short was a fixture at New York’s Carlyle Hotel.  In 1980, heiress-turned-jeans mogul Gloria Vanderbilt (now perhaps better known as Anderson Cooper’s mom) charged that a co-op wouldn’t sell to her because of her friendship with Bobby Short.

Once again, the video features an effervescent Shelley Hack with her confident long strides:

Dinah Washington – What a Difference a Day Makes #MusicMonday

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As I wrote, I got hooked on Female jazz vocalists, especially the classic women jazz singers.  I remember Ella Fitzgerald as an older woman appearing on network TV, and I knew that she was renown for her scat singing.  I didn’t know how silky her voice could be.  Then, of course, there is Billie Holliday.

When I first heard Dinah Washington, I wondered “Who is she?” “Where has she been all my life?” which betrays my ignorance more than anything else. Here she sings what is probably her best known song ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’ and picks up the tempo with ‘Makin’ Whoopee.’ Louis Jordan and his band back her in this TV segment.

And the announcer is none other than our prez Ronald Reagan!  What could be better??!!

Lol.  This will be heresy to true believers, but I don’t think that the Reagan years were all that great.