This is the playlist for Wednesday,
June 14, 2000:
Updated:
May 16, 2001
(the listings follow this format: Artist Name / Song Name / Album Name / Album Year / Comments)
Quincy Jones, Andre Crouch, Sandra Crouch, Christ..., featuring Tata Vega and Jacqueline / Maybe God is Trying to Tell You Something / The Color Purple Original Motion Picture Soundtrack / Bruce thinks: "If a bunch of alternative band members got together and made a song like this, they'd just name themselves 'Mud Frog' or something and be done with it. To hell with name recognition. But apparently it's not so in the gospelt's not so in the gospel world. I think I spent nearly half the radio program announcing the performers of this one. Anyway, this song, and it's placement in the film, always seemed perfect to me." Drew believes.
Madonna / Drowned World / Substitute for Love - BT & Sasha remix / Drowned World / Substitute for Love European CD Single 1 / 1999 / Bruce: "My favorite track off of 'Ray of Light', it makes a great Sasha remix as well". Drew says: "Peppy, upbeat, and reasonably repetative for a club remix. Where's all the singing?"
Steven Curtis Chapman / Dive / Speechless / 1999 / Drew feels: "Steven is an excellent musician and performer that has successfully blended commercially-viable music with a Christian message. When Bruce and I were working on the playlist, I popped this song in and began to play it before I told him that Steven was a Contemporary Christian artist. Even Bruce, a confirmed pagan, was hooked by Steven's accessible style."
Celia Cruz / Guantanamara / ? / ? / Bruce reminisces: "We were in a Madrid bar where they sing songs all the time and this was a huge hit. Except we were shrieking 'There's only One Alan Shearer'. He was big in the soccer big in the soccer world, at least in Europe. It seems more fun when we did it than writing it on here. Hmm. I'll dig up some tapes and play them on the show of us singing." Drew shudders at the mere thought of the existence of such a tape.
Vance Gilbert / House of Pain / Shaking Off Gravity / 1998 / Drew's thinking:"Vance is one of those artists that is a one-man party on the stage. His shows are loose, funny, personal, and the quality of his music & voice never cease to amaze. Vance, while singing, can hold a note as long as he wants. It is something you've got to hear to believe."
Fats Domino / Ain't That a Shame / Ain't That a Shame (single) / 1955 / Bruce: "What singles were meant to be: Fun." Drew adds: "SMACK IT CINCINNATI. What radio was meant to be: Fun."
Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel / The Message / The Message (single) / 1982 / Bruce thinks: "I was always under the impression this was the first rap single ever. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame set me straight, now I realize it's just the first big rap single. Perhaps it's message would be taken on by more youth if it weren't 7 minutes long. I nearly dropped out of hig dropped out of high school 'cos I never listened to the fourth and fifth verses of this song."
Wendy Bucklew / Heave Ho / Painting Sidewalks / 1992 / The Drew sayeth: "I visited the now-defunct record store Rainy Day Records in Atlanta in 1992 for their annual New Year's Open Mic. Any artist that so desired could get up and sing a few songs for the audience. It was there that I was introduced to Wendy Bucklew and her music (introduced to her, by the way, by Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls). Wendy's live stuff was bluesy and kinda growly, reminding me of Janis Joplin. I bought her CD, PAINTING SIDEWALKS, and was somewhat disappointed by the restrained vocals on the disc. Don't get me wrong -- the CD is excellent and remains one of my favorites, but it lacked the 'raw' side that Wendy exhibited in live performance. Wendy's most recent offering, ASLEEP IN THE SWING, shows a more confident Bucklew and includes plenty of those raw, growly sounds I like."
Peter Mulvey / Trouble with Poets / Trouble with Poets / 1999 / Drew recalls: "I first heard Peter when he opened for Over The Rhine several years ago. The show was held in a giant local theatre, called The Emery. It used to be a cinema, and the beginning of the show was an old, old man playing the olman playing the old, old pipe organ that used to provide music for the silent movies. Shortly after that experience, Peter Mulvey came out onto the big, dark, empty stage wearing jeans and a white t-shirt and carrying a guitar. He launched into one of his songs, complete with poetic lyrics and intricate, catchy guitar-work, and a wave of admiration swept over the audience. He earned many new fans that night. Also, Peter is one of the (few) artists that Bruce and I both like." Bonus link.
Cake / Never There (World Cafe live version) / Live from World Cafe / 2000 / Bruce muses: "Cake is a fun band, and this is a fun song. Viva la bass guitar."
Crosley / Her Majesty / Preview CD / 1999 / Drew: "Crosley is a Cincinnati-based 'power-pop' band. They play out frequently, and have a great sound. Check out their website and live shows. Hopefully their CD will be released soon -- I'd like to hear more from this group."
Pornosonic / Spiderpussy / Pornosonic / 1999 / Drew: "This CD has been released with the subtitle, 'Music from Unreleased 70's Porno Movies', which is a lie. Thewhich is a lie. These are all original recordings. But the music is in that same gamy jazz-funk style as music from that film genre, and it's a lot of fun."
Max Webster & RUSH / Battlescar / Universal Juvenile / sometime in the 1980s / Drew spouts: "A rare find, this song from Canadian-based Max Webster and RUSH from the 1980s found both bands, complete with both drummers, both guitar players, both bass players, and both singers in studio to record. This is the result."
the eels / I Like Birds / Daisies of the Galaxy / 2000 / Bruce: "I'm glad E is out of his funk. Their last album was great, but after a year or two listening to a whole CD about death and coping I was ready for more E fun. Damned right, it's a beautiful day, uh-huh."