Country Joe and the Fish: Thursday
[purchase]
One of the moodier tracks from "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die," the Fish's followup to universally acclaimed "Electric Music for the Mind and Body," Thursday is prefixed with a freak folk LSD commercial.
Submitted by Brendan of The Rising Storm.
Joe Jackson: Friday
[purchase]
Joe Jackson is one of the most eclectic artists around. I've seen him in concert a few times and he puts on an excellent show. Because he's so musically adventurous, at least half of his songs suck. But most of the early stuff is either good or great.
Reader Submission from Berrett!
Cat Stevens: Tuesday’s Dead
[purchase]
I was reading another blog the other day in which the writer called Cat Stevens a “guilty pleasure.” Not possible! Cat Stevens is the ultimate antidote to sadness and cynicism (Harry Nilsson, too). Every song he sings seems to greet the world with open arms. “Tuesday’s Dead” isn’t my favorite of his songs, but it’s still great.
Lisa Loeb: Waiting For Wednesday
[purchase]
Lisa Loeb seems to elicit extreme feelings. I've had people stress, "I hate Lisa Loeb!" and other people exclaim, "Lisa Loeb? I love her!" with equal enthusiasm. I must admit leaning towards the latter because... well, honestly... I've had a crush on her ever since the video for "Stay" first graced my eyeballs.
For a long time, "Stay" was the only thing I could name as hers. I didn't (and still don't) keep up on popular radio, so ended up missing out on follow-up singles.
A few years back, though, a friend borrowed me the debut Lisa Loeb release, Tails, which became a semi-permanant resident in my cd player all of that summer. About a week after said friend finally got her disc back, I went through withdrawal. I bussed across town to Cheapo and bought my own damn copy. As soon as I got home and got the plastic off the disc (and those damned sticky-tape encumbrances which seal the case once more - seriously, what is the reasoning? To force a few more seconds of...anticipation?) I pressed play, turned up loud, and mainlined the aural insulin. It may come off as sacharine, to some, but deep listening provides a measure of tart, which counter-balances the sweet.
"Waiting For Wednesday" was the fourth single from Tails, and it reached #83 on the U.S. Hot Singles chart.
So far we've got two new bloggers added as authors (and maybe a few more on the way), but no submissions from readers. We'd love to hear from you!
Is anybody thinking about chiming in? Is there any problem with the form or instructions? Let me know in the comments.
I know you're out there. For a new blog we've had a fair number of visitors today. (Just click on the site meter button for details.)
Also feel free to contribute new theme ideas.
Thanks,
Six
">'til tuesday: Voices Carry
[purchase]
Digging through my music collection, trying to find the next day of the week song, I was having no luck.
Monday had lept out at me so fast, and I've already got something on tap for Wednesday, that I figured the second day of the work-week would be a snap. Not so.
How can there not be a song called "Tuesday"? (note to self: write a song called "Tuesday")
Then I remembered that Michael Hausman, Robert Holmes, Joey Pesce, and Aimee Mann had had a little group known as 'til tuesday back in the 1980s. That little group released a wonderful song, which I'm sure you all know, called "Voices Carry". The title song from the groups debut release (1985), "Voices Carry" was the groups highest charting song, reaching #8 on the U.S. Hot 100.
Like I said, I'm sure you all are quite familiar with this song, but when is the last time you really listened to it? It is, in my opinion, a near-perfect pop song.
And as you're listening, look at the pic of the album cover and try guess which guy is Joey Pesce. (hint: it's not the blonde)
Wilco: Monday
[purchase]
I'm Matt, from Perceptions, Delusions, and I'm excited to be a part of Star Maker Machine.
Paul and Six have covered Sunday very nicely. I'll move ahead to Monday, then.
Wilco released their second album, Being There, in late October, 1996. Although it was a double album, Wilco head honcho Jeff Tweedy convinced Reprise Records to price it as a single: All Jeff had to do to assure the price-point was give Reprise Wilco's share of the album royalties. There is definitely something to be said for an artists dedication in getting his product to the fans at a reasonable price. It is noble, and you can't put a price on nobility. (Well, it seems that Wilco gave away about $600,000 on this deal, so there was some price paid, but still...)
Being There reached #73 on the Billboard album chart.
Being There placed #14 on the 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.
(I looked at Wikipedia for this info.)
Kris Kristofferson: Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
[purchase]
This is Paul from Setting The Woods On Fire. Good luck with the new format.
Here's one of my favorite day-of-the-week songs. Most people are familiar with the Johnny Cash version, but this song was originally composed and recorded by the great songwriter Kris Kristofferson, who also wrote Me and Bobbie McGee.
Margo Guryan: Sunday Morning
[purchase]
The first theme for Star Maker Machine will be Days Of The Week.*
Please submit a favorite song of yours that includes the name of a day of the week in its title.
I've started with a favorite called "Sunday Morning" by Margo Guryan from 1968's Take A Picture. What do you think? If you like it, the whole album is pretty good. She kind of reminds me of a 1960's style Lilly Allen (but a bit more refined).
Looking forward to your submissions...
(*This theme is a tip of the hat to the old version of this blog, called Six Songs.)
OK, it's finally time to put our new concept into effect.
To submit a post to Star Maker Machine, please download and follow the instructions which are available in word or text format.
Then download the template, which is available in word or text format and fill in the "blanks" as explained in the instructions.
Once you've prepared your post, e-mail it to Star Maker Machine (as an attachment or in the body of your e-mail). The e-mail address is songs.six@gmail.com.
If you are a blogger and would like to submit posts directly, just let me know your e-mail address in the comments to this post (or send me an e-mail) and I will send you an invitation to become an author of this blog.
Remember to follow the current theme, which will be posted shortly.
Teenage Fanclub: The Concept
[purchase]
Announcing the Star Maker Machine concept:
The original idea behind this blog was to get the readers involved. Reader comments were supposed to drive the song selections and vice versa, but this proved to be unworkable. So we have a new idea that will really get the readers involved: We’re going to let you write the posts!
Maybe you don’t have your own music blog, but you’ve always wanted to tell the world about one special song? Now you can. Instead of going to all the trouble of starting your own blog, you can just post it here. Maybe you already have an mp3 blog, but you want to post a song that doesn’t fit in with your usual fare? You can post it here. Or maybe you just want to be part of a music-blogger community. This is the place.
The great part of about getting everyone involved will be the community atmosphere and the variety of viewpoints. More minds should result in more great music. The downside risk is that this blog will turn into a messy hodge-podge of randomness. To combat that, we’ve got a few simple rules designed to maintain a coherent and consistent presentation:
(1) If you aren't a regular author, the moderator will review your submission before posting. The main reason will be to avoid posting music that is not appropriate for an mp3 blog.
(2) To ensure a uniform look, all submitted posts will have to follow a set template that will be provided. You just have to fill in the blanks.
(3) The moderator will select weekly or monthly themes. Whatever song you pick to feature will have to fit the current theme.
(4) This is going to be a “vintage” music blog. We aren’t about the latest hot band. There are plenty of great places for that. We are looking for music from the 20th century that still sounds great today. So, please keep your submissions limited to songs recorded between 1900 and 1999. Any popular music genre is fine (rock, country, blues, jazz, r&b, etc.).
If you already have your own music blog, and would like to contribute an occasional song to Star Maker Machine, you can request to be made a direct “author.” This will allow you to directly post to this blog in your own name without using the submission form. Other regular contributors can also request to be made direct “authors.” Thanks!
I hope some of you decide to participate. Further details, including the submission template, will be ready sometime next week.
What do you think of this idea?
Joni Mitchell: Free Man In Paris
[purchase]
As part of the general overhaul of this relatively-new site, we are pleased to announce that the blog formerly known as "Six Songs" now has a new name:
Star Maker Machine
You know I'd go back there tomorrow
But for the work I've taken on
Stoking the star maker machinery
Behind the popular song
Sugar: A Good Idea (purchase)
Exciting news! We've come up with a good idea how to make this blog better and more fun for everyone. It's a new concept that will increase reader participation and improve the content. But it's going to take awhile to figure out the details. Hopefully we will be up and running with a new format (and a new name?) next week. Please stay tuned...
Posting a new song everyday is surprisingly stressful, even with the Sunday rest. So we're off for some R&R. We may be back with a new format.
Henry Kaiser – The Fishin' Hole (mp3) (purchase).
Now it's time to go cool our toes in the dewey grass...
Uncle Tupelo: John Hardy
[purchase]
Last week we heard the Carter Family version. Closing out this week an excellent version by Uncle Tupelo from the seminal alt-country album No Depression. Leadbelly gets the writing credit on this disc, but it seems possible that this traditional number predates Leadbelly. The murderer whose story inspired the song was hung in 1894 when Leadbelly was only six years old.
Discuss...
Tom Jones: Black Betty
[purchase]
Not much to say about this one. You probably love it or hate it. But, fear not, there are eight more versions of Black Betty over at the Nine Bullets blog, including the original and a good one by Ministry. There's bound to be one you like there.
"The is T.J. deadicating a song to Lead Belly! . . . Bam-a-Lam!"
Discuss...
Big Joe Turner: Midnight Special Train
[purchase]
Big Joe Turner from Kansas City is a member of both The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and The Blues Hall of Fame. His style bridges the gap between Leadbelly's blues and the early rockers like Elvis Presley and Bill Haley.
A highlight is the rhyming of "Santa Fe" with "me."
Discuss...
Lonnie Donegan: Rock Island Line
[purchase]
Lonnie Donegan was the undisputed King of the British skiffle revival. According to Wikipedia (our favorite source) "Skiffle is a type of folk music with a jazz and blues influence, usually using homemade or improvised instruments such as the washboard, tea chest bass, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle, musical saw, comb and paper, and so forth, as well as more conventional instruments such as acoustic guitar and banjo. Skiffle and jug band music are closely related. Skiffle was particularly popular in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s."
Two important bands got their start during the British skiffle revival. The Beatles evolved from an unkown skiffle group called the Quarrymen. Britain's loudest band, Spinal Tap, started as a skiffle group called The Lovely Lads.
Discuss...
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Cotton Fields
[purchase]
This one's kind of obvious. Almost went with the Beach Boys version, but I've always loved this CCR version, so that's what you get.
"When those cotton balls get rotten, you can't pick very much cotton..."
Discuss...
X: Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
[purchase]
This is a Tin Pan Alley song from 1930 that Leadbelly performed on his Last Sessions album. In the liner notes to Under A Big Black Sun, X quotes Leadbelly's remarks from the Last Sessions:
"I didn't make this myself, but I'm gonna do it. 'Twas a man he had a pretty wife ... And she went and losed her mind about her husband. We'd got out & play for the insane asylum people ... & they would dance. She was there and her husband would go and sing to her. And 2 weeks after he sang this song, she come back to her senses and they got back together. That's to show how music can bring you back ... If you ain't too far gone."
-Leadbelly
