Country and Atonal

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Country and Atonal

Rodney posted this video on Facebook.

I posted this over there (and I hardly ever post on Facebook anymore:

Quote

This was like Alexander the Great chopping through the Gordian knot of my lifelong cognitive dissonance that started in my college days.

That I have lived to see and hear this... ahhh... life is good...  

If I had heard this song decades earlier, my life might have gone in a different direction.

Merle Hazard described my music composition teachers and the avant garde culture at Boston University perfectly.

At least I now get to laugh...

 

And that banjo riff... the John Cage silence...

LOL...  

Michael

 

[9thdoctor]

7 hours ago, Michael Stuart Kelly said:

If I had heard this song decades earlier, my life might have gone in a different direction.

 

Which direction would that have been?

Not sold on extended atonality?  Find it too hard to extract the ear-worm of Stravinsky's uber-catchy adaptation of The Owl and the Pussycat?

Nothing tops the "beautiful Pussy" part for getting unintended laughs from a college recital audience.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Dennis,

You bring up bad memories.

 

btw - In my composing days, I sketched out a companion piece for Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat, which, thank God, was before his atonal phase. The reason I wanted to do this was because the instrumentation of Stravinsky's piece was so odd that nothing else was written for it. So I wanted to use the same ensemble.

(I played that thing a number of time since trombone was one of the instruments. That's how I got interested in it.)

I was full of Rand at the time, so, for the story, I chose a short story by O. Henry called "The Cop and the Anthem." I called my piece Soapy after the protagonist.

The story is about a bum named Soapy who wanted to go to jail for the winter. Cold was coming on and in jail it was warm with guaranteed meals. He tried everything he could to get arrested, but couldn't for the life of him. After the last attempt, he freaked and ran and ran and ran until he had to stop from exhaustion. It was outside a church. As he heard the music coming from the church, he started musing over how he had wasted his life. He decided to clean himself up, get a job, and make something out of himself. No sooner had he come to that decision, a cop came along, arrested him for vagrancy and threw him in jail for the winter.

In my piece, there were no words or singing. Essentially the actors would mime of the different situations. However, there was a ballerina always dancing around Soapy like a fairy or an angel, reflecting his moods and inner resolves. My idea was to make the setting realistic and the ballerina other-worldly. Soapy would only dance once--with the ballerina. It would be during church anthem and it would be uplifting, going to a nice climax. After the officer arrests Soapy at the end, the ballerina would follow them downtrodden, no longer dancing.

I never finished this. I intend to still write music at some point in my life, so I just might do this piece. Except I don't want to ally it anymore to L'Histoire. which, truth be told, kinda sucks.  So the ensemble will probably be a lot different. String orchestra would do just fine, or maybe something else. Maybe even a light pop music angle...

I'm going to think on this...

Michael

[9thdoctor]

3 hours ago, Michael Stuart Kelly said:

Soapy would only dance once--with the ballerina. It would be during church anthem and it would be uplifting, going to a nice climax.

Recall that Rand wanted to see a hybrid of ballet and tap dancing.  The trouble being that different shoes are needed (I think).  How about having Soapy tap dance? 

And make sure the arresting officer looks like Kant.  Then you'll have a shot at getting it premiered at OCON. 

[Brant Gaede]

5 minutes ago, 9thdoctor said:

Recall that Rand wanted to see a hybrid of ballet and tap dancing.  The trouble being that different shoes are needed (I think).  How about having Soapy tap dance? 

And make sure the arresting officer looks like Kant.  Then you'll have a shot at getting it premiered at OCON. 

She said Fred Astaire mixed them up. I think it was tap with elements of ballet. I'm not sure what she wanted. Don't recall that.

--Brant

[9thdoctor]

3 hours ago, Michael Stuart Kelly said:

You bring up bad memories.

While we're doing music humor and bringing up bad memories for you, there's a channel on YouTube that's all about combining wildly different songs and old time music videos with hilarious results.  The first one is selected to keep those bad memories flowing, plus the dancing might be something Soapyish. 

The second one is rather more clever, musically speaking.  The whole thing calls to mind Charles Ives.  Like the end of the 2nd Symphony, when Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean gets mashed up with Camptown Races.

There are a bunch more of these, some great, some just ok.  Worth checking out. 

[Peter]

Ear worms? This song is tonal and well sung but the lyrics? The most critical and scathing song lyrics ever written, tada. Peter

Big Shot" by Billy Joel
Well you went uptown riding in your limousine
With your fine Park Avenue clothes
You had the Dom Perignon in your hand
And the spoon up your nose
And when you wake up in the morning
With your head on fire
And your eyes too bloody to see
Go on and cry in your coffee
But don't come bitchin' to me

Because you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to open up your mouth
You had to be a big shot, didn't you
All your friends were so knocked out
You had to have the last word, last night
You know what everything's about
You had to have a white hot spotlight
You had to be a big shot last night

They were all impressed with your Halston dress
And the people that you knew at Elaine's
And the story of your latest success
Kept 'em so entertained
Aw but now you just don't remember
All the things you said
And you're not sure you want to know
I'll give you one hint, honey
You sure did put on a show

Yes, yes, you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to prove it to the crowd
You had to be a big shot, didn't you
All your friends were so knocked out
You had to have the last word, last night
You're so much fun to be around
You had to have the front page, bold type
You had to be a big shot last night

Well, it's no big sin to stick your two cents in
If you know when to leave it alone
But you went over the line
You couldn't see it was time to go home
No, no, no, no, no, no, you had to be a big shot, didn't you
You had to open up your mouth
You had to be a big shot, didn't you
All your friends were so knocked out
You had to have the last word, last night
So much fun to be around
You had to have a white hot spot light
You had to be a big shot last night

[Peter]

Another “ear worm?” I have told this story before but . . . I was out of the army in 1969 and walking by Janice Joplin’s San Francisco residence with a disc jockey friend George Feist, (pronounced Feast), when he said, “Go push her button. If she likes your looks she might let us in.” I just couldn’t do it, but I remember being thrilled at the thought.  

Emma Franklin, elder sister of Aretha recorded “Take Another Little Piece of My Heart,” in 1967, a year and a tear, before Janice Joplin in 1968. I watched Emma’s version from around 1993 and it is only a little different from the Joplin mega hit and frequently in a good way.  How can lyrics so simple, (and almost violent singing) touch us in such a profound way? Is she talking about her loving heart or her loving  . . . . Peter

Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on!

Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man yeah!
Didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can?
Honey, you know I did!
And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I've had enough
But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.

I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, oh, have a!
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby . . . .

Piece of My Heart,” by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns originally recorded by Emma Franklin in 1967. 

[Jonathan]

* Erma.

Anyway, I love both Erma and Janis's versions -- quite a contrast of how two different artists handled the same piece.

J

[caroljane]

7 hours ago, Peter said:

Another “ear worm?” I have told this story before but . . . I was out of the army in 1969 and walking by Janice Joplin’s San Francisco residence with a disc jockey friend George Feist, (pronounced Feast), when he said, “Go push her button. If she likes your looks she might let us in.” I just couldn’t do it, but I remember being thrilled at the thought.  

 

Emma Franklin, elder sister of Aretha recorded “Take Another Little Piece of My Heart,” in 1967, a year and a tear, before Janice Joplin in 1968. I watched Emma’s version from around 1993 and it is only a little different from the Joplin mega hit and frequently in a good way.  How can lyrics so simple, (and almost violent singing) touch us in such a profound way? Is she talking about her loving heart or her loving  . . . . Peter

 

Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on!

 

Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man yeah!
Didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can?
Honey, you know I did!
And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I've had enough
But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.

 

I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it
Take it!
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!
Oh, oh, break it!
Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, oh, have a!
Have another little piece of my heart now, baby . . . .

 

Piece of My Heart,” by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns originally recorded by Emma Franklin in 1967. 

She was so underappreciated.

Even those who appreciate her do not spell her name right! She chose to be Janis.

[Jonathan]

10 hours ago, caroljane said:

She was so underappreciated.

Even those who appreciate her do not spell her name right! She chose to be Janis.

 

Damned Autoincorrect.

J

 

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

There is one song Janis Joplin sang that I never resonated with. She used to sing "Summertime" by George Gershwin from the opera Porgy and Bess. 

The thing is, that song is a lullaby. I never could get the image out of my mind of Janis holding an infant in her arms and screeching into the poor baby's face to get it to go to sleep.

 

Janis was definitely not good lullaby material from the baby's perspective. I would hate to see what she wanted to put in the baby's formula...

 

Michael

[Jonathan]

Whiskey and herion. Not good for da baby.

J

[Peter]

3 hours ago, Jonathan said:

Whiskey and herion. Not good for da baby.

J

Last night on the PBS and BBC show "Victoria" the German Aunt is left to care for the six kids while Vicky and Albert travel to Ireland. The Aunt gives the two oldest kids who I would guess are 10 and 12 a glass of wine with their breakfast.   

[Peter]

If you ever need some good pick me up music, the scores from movies are always good for a lift. Here are some of my favorites. Go ahead and listen to a few that you might remember on You Tube etc., or just do a search for them all Peter

My current favorites are in this first paragraph but it is subject to change. The Phantom of the Opera, The Music of the Night, All I Ask of You, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, The Titanic theme, My Heart Will Go On, by Celine Dion It Must Have Been Love from “Pretty Woman”, by Roxette

Doctor No, You Only Live Twice, and Goldfinger from the James Bond franchise

Superman 1978, Shaft by Isaac Hayes, Ghost Busters, Chariots of Fire by Vangelis, Rocky, Jurassic Park, The Pink Panther, The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand

Night Fever, How Deep Is Your Love, and Stayin’ Alive from Saturday Night Fever, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, Top Gun,

The Wind Beneath My Wings from “Beaches” by Bette Midler, Saint Elmo’s Fire, 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton, Footloose, Arthur’s Theme (best that you can do)

The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News from the movie from “Back to the Future”, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" "I Will Always Love You" 1992's soundtrack for "The Bodyguard"

"The Theme From 'A Summer Place'" - Percy Faith And His Orchestra, "Endless Love" by Diana ross and Lionel Richie, "You Light Up My Life", Don’t Fence Me In.

And back a bit further in time. The Pink Panther theme, The High and the Mighty, Exodus, The Bridge on the River Kwai March song. Yup. It’s a bunch of guys just whistling.  

[Peter]

“Comin’ Home Baby, Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do.” How can something so repetitious be an “ear worm?”

I was thinking about some R&B songs that you can’t get out of your ear once you have re-heard them and there is one for what I think is a local TV commercial for Clayton prefab houses that does just that. You would think you are listening to Ray Charles singing, “Comin’ Home Baby,” but the 1962 version is actually Mel Torme. Mel was of Jewish descent and his family came from the Ukraine originally, I think. And there is a later version by Canadian Michael Buble.  Both singers have accents on the last letter “e” in their names. How Strange is that?

But give “Comin’ Home Baby,” a listen. The 1962 version by Mel Torme has the back-up singers for Ray Charles that he had before or during his time with The Raelettes, though the back-up singers The Raelettes were around since 1958. Peter

“Comin’ Home Baby”

I'm comin' home, baby now
(Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do
I'm comin' home now, right away
(Do-do-do)
I'm comin' home, baby now
(Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do)
I'm sorry now I ever went away
(Do-do-do-doo - I miss you)
Every night and day, I'm gone stay
I'm comin' home, baby
(Come on home)
Comin' home baby, now
(You know I'm waitin' here for you)
I'm comin' home now, ree-al soon
(You've been gone)
Comin' home baby, now
(You don't know what I'm goin' through)
I'm comin' home I know I'm overdue
(Since you went away - how I feel, too)
S'pect me any day, now real soon (soon)
I'm comin' home
(Come on home)
Comin' home baby, now
(You know I'm prayin' every night)
That everything is gonna be fine
(Please come home)
Comin' home baby, now
(I want to feel you hold me tight)
'C'pect to see me now, anytime
(When I'm in your arms - I'm all right)
When you're in my arms - I'll be fine

I'm comin' home
(Come on home)
I'm comin' home, baby now
(You know I'm counting everyday)
I'm comin' home now, yeah-yeah-yeah!
(Use the phone)
I'm comin' home, baby now
(And baby let me hear you say)
I'm comin' home, you're hearin' what I say
(That you're comin' home - I will lay awake)
And I never will go away
I'm comin' home!
Mel Torme - Coming Home Baby Lyrics | MetroLyrics

[Peter]

Listen to the rousing song from the movie, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” starring John Wayne as Tom Doniphon and James Stewart as Ransom "Ranse" Stoddard. The movie grossed 8 million dollars and it was a big hit. Look what inflation has done to us. The writers of the song were, ta da: BURT BACHARACH and HAL DAVID

The movie also featured, Vera Miles as Hallie Stoddard Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance Edmond O'Brien as Dutton Peabody Andy Devine as Marshal Link Appleyard Ken Murray as Doc Willoughby John Carradine as Maj. Cassius Starbuckle Jeanette Nolan as Nora Ericson John Qualen as Peter Ericson Willis Bouchey as Jason Tully (conductor) Carleton Young as Maxwell Scott Woody Strode as Pompey Denver Pyle as Amos Carruthers Strother Martin as Floyd Lee Van Cleef as Reese Robert F. Simon as Handy Strong O. Z. Whitehead as Herbert Carruthers Paul Birch as Mayor Winder Joseph Hoover as Charlie Hasbrouck (reporter for The Star) Shug Fisher as Kaintuck.

Lyrics. "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" sung by Gene Pitney.
When Liberty Valance rode to town, the womenfolk would hide, they'd hide
When Liberty Valance walked around, the men would step aside
'Cause the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin' straight and fast, he was mighty good

From out of the east a stranger came, a law book in his hand, a man
The kind of a man the West would need to tame a troubled land
'Cause the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When it came to shootin' straight and fast, he was mighty good

Many a man would face his gun, and many a man would fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance
He shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all

The love of a girl can make a man stay on when he should go, stay on
Just tryin' to build a peaceful life where love is free to grow
But the point of a gun was the only law that Liberty understood
When the final showdown came at last, a law book was no good

Alone and afraid, she prayed that he'd return that fateful night, aw, that night
When nothin' she said could keep her man from goin' out to fight
From the moment a girl gets to be full-grown, the very first thing she learns
When two men go out to face each other, only one returns

Everyone heard two shots ring out, one shot made Liberty fall
The man who shot Liberty Valance
He shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all

The man who shot Liberty Valance
He shot Liberty Valance
He was the bravest of them all

Writer(s): BURT BACHARACH, HAL DAVID

Release date: Apr 22, 1962 (United States) Director: John Ford Gross revenue: $8 million USD Story by: Dorothy M. Johnson · Willis Goldbeck · James Warner Bellah Production company: John Ford Productions Screenwriters: Willis Goldbeck · James Warner Bellah

[Rodney]

Gene Pitney's "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" has always been one of my favorite records. The song was never used in the movie it was written for, but I had never heard of any such movie anyway. 

From the standpoint of music theory, I am intrigued by the fact that the fiddle introduction to "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance" is intentionally out of tune--and that the record is the better for it. I explain this by holding that music is based ultimately not on the use of mathematical tonal relationships but on the use of psychological impulses of which a major example is the use of those tonal relationships.

Gene Pitney did another song that WAS used in its same-titled movie: "Town Without Pity," again one of my favorites, and again one whose connected movie I never knew existed. The record seems to capture all the inchoate yearnings and confusions of the young people of the time. 

[Peter]

My top five Gene Pitney songs?

I Wanna Love my Life Away.

24 Hours From Tulsa –  the ending, “I can never, never, never, go home again” has got to be one of the best endings of any song, ever.

Only Love Can Break a Heart.

Town Without Pity.

And my favorite Gene Pitneys songs sung by others: He’s a Rebel. Rubber Ball. Hello Mary Lou, sung by Ricky Nelson.  

And even a lesser song like Gene Pitney & George Jones singing - The More I Saw Her is interesting and so is his more amateur-istic version of Crying which was written and better performed by Roy Orbison.

From Wikipedia. Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer.^[1] Pitney charted 16 Top 40 hits in the United States, four in the Top 10. In the United Kingdom he had 22 Top 40 hits, and 11 singles in the Top Ten. He also wrote the early 1960s hits "Rubber Ball" recorded by Bobby Vee, "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals, and "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame  . . . . Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals (later covered by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks), "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison, "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee, and "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson. The Crystals' version of "He's A Rebel" kept Pitney's own No. 2 hit "Only Love Can Break a Heart," his highest-charting single in the U.S., from the top spot, the only time that a writer shut himself (or herself) out of #1.^[2]

Also from Wikipedia. Early years[edit] Pitney was born in Hartford, Connecticut, United States. The third of five children of a lathe operator, Pitney lived with his family in Rockville, Connecticut during his formative years. He grew up in Rockville, now part of Vernon, Connecticut.

Pitney’s early influences were Clyde McPhatter, country-blues singer Moon Mullican, and doo-wop groups like the Crows. He attended Rockville High School where he formed his first band, Gene & the Genials. Pitney was an avid doo wop singer and sang with a group called the Embers. He made records as part of a duo called Jamie and Jane with Ginny Arnell (who in late 1963 had a solo hit, "Dumb Head"), and in 1959 recorded a single as Billy Bryan.

Career[edit] Rise to fame (1961–1964)[edit] Signed to songwriter Aaron Schroeder's newly formed Musicor label in 1961, Pitney scored his first chart single, which made the Top 40, the self-penned "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away," on which he played several instruments and multi-tracked the vocals. He followed that same year with his first Top 20 single, the title song from the 1961 Kirk Douglas United Artists film Town Without Pity. Written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington, the song won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song, but lost the award to "Moon River". Pitney performed the song at the Oscars ceremony on April 9, 1962. Pitney is also remembered for the Burt Bacharach–Hal David song "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance", which peaked at No. 4 in 1962. Though it shares a title with the John Wayne western, the song was not used in the film because of a publishing dispute. That same year "Only Love Can Break a Heart" became his highest charting song in the US at No. 2, followed in December by "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", which reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart.

Because of his success on the music charts, and as Pitney explained to his friend Oldies DJ “Wild” Wayne, an unknown radio disc jockey at the time dubbed him with the nickname “The Rockville Rocket,” which caught on. Meanwhile, Pitney wrote hits for others, including "He's a Rebel" for the Crystals (later covered by Vikki Carr and Elkie Brooks), "Today's Teardrops" for Roy Orbison, "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee, and "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson. The Crystals' version of "He's A Rebel" kept Pitney's own No. 2 hit "Only Love Can Break a Heart," his highest-charting single in the U.S., from the top spot, the only time that a writer shut himself (or herself) out of #1.^[2]

His popularity in the UK market was ensured by the breakthrough success of "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa," a Bacharach and David song, which peaked at No. 5 in Britain at the start of 1964. It was only Pitney's third single release in the UK to reach the singles chart, and the first to break into the Top Twenty there; it was also a hit in the U.S, peaking at No. 17 on the Hot 100.

Involvement with the Rolling Stones (1964)[edit] Pitney was present with Phil Spector at some of the Rolling Stones' early recording sessions in London, including "Little by Little" and other tracks for their debut album;^[3] he played piano, though the extent is uncertain.

The Jagger/Richards song "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" was a No. 7 UK hit for Pitney in 1964; it was the first tune composed by the duo to become a Top 10 hit in the UK.^[4] In the U.S. the single stalled at No. 49, ending a run of seven Top 40 singles for Pitney as a performer.

Maintaining popularity[edit] After another low-charting single, 1964's "Yesterday's Hero", Pitney rebounded with another string of hits in the mid-1960s, including the 1964 singles "It Hurts to Be in Love" and "I'm Gonna Be Strong", which reached No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, in the U.S., and 1966's "Nobody Needs Your Love", which peaked at No. 2 in the UK, matching the No. 2 UK peak of "I'm Gonna Be Strong". "It Hurts to Be in Love" had been planned for and recorded by Neil Sedaka, but RCA refused to release it because Sedaka had recorded the song outside RCA Victor in violation of his contract. The writers, Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller, presented the song to Pitney. Miller replaced Sedaka's voice with Pitney's, though Sedaka's trademark backing harmonies were left intact.

In 1965, Pitney recorded two successful albums with country singer George Jones. They were voted the most promising country-and-western duo of the year. Pitney also recorded songs in Italian, Spanish and German, and twice finished second in Italy's annual Sanremo Music Festival, where his strong vibrato reminded older listeners of the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. He had a regional hit with "Nessuno mi può giudicare".

UK, Australian and European stardom (1966–1970s)[edit]  Pitney's career in the U.S. took a downturn after mid-1966, when "Backstage" ended another run of Top 40 hits. He returned one last time to the Top 40 with "She's a Heartbreaker" in mid-1968 and placed several singles in the lower reaches of the Hot 100 after that, but by 1970 he was no longer a hit-maker in the U.S.

Pitney maintained a successful career in Britain and the rest of Europe into the 1970s, appearing regularly on UK charts as late as 1974. In Australia, after a fallow period in the early 1970s, Pitney returned to Top 40 in 1974, as both Blue Angel (No. 2) and Trans-Canada Highway (No. 14; production by David Mackay) were substantial hits. Pitney continued to place records in the Australian charts through 1976, including the hit "Down This Road," written and produced by distant relation Edward Pitney. They also collaborated in the production of the hit song "Days of Summer."

In the early 1970s, Pitney decided to spend only six months each year on the road.

Later career[edit] Pitney's last hit on the UK charts came in 1989, after an absence of 15 years, when he and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond recorded a duet version of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by British writers Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway. The song had been a UK No. 5 for Pitney in 1967. The duet brought him his first UK No. 1, in late January 1989. The single remained at the top for four weeks, and also went to No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Ireland. Pitney and Almond appeared on the Terry Wogan television show in Britain.

In 2000, Pitney sang harmony vocals on Jane Olivor's recording of his 1962 hit, "Half Heaven – Half Heartache", which was released on her 'comeback' album Love Decides.^[5]

On 18 March 2002, Pitney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[6]

This Morning incident[edit] Pitney was involved in a gaffe on ITV's This Morning in 1989, owing to a "technical mishap."^[7] Giving an ostensibly live performance of his track "You're the Reason," Pitney missed his cue and was seen "failing dismally to mime along in time to his backing track";^[8] he continued with the song, and found humor in the incident.^[9] It has been repeated on television over the years, notably on a 2002 episode of BBC One series Room 101,^[8] where host Paul Merton described it as a "very funny moment" in which Pitney came in "unbearably late".^[10] It was re-aired on the 25th anniversary edition of This Morning in 2013, where presenter Holly Willoughby "broke out into a cold sweat" while reliving the moment.^[7]

Personal life[edit] At the height of his fame in 1966, Pitney married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne Gayton, and the couple had three sons, Todd, Chris, and David.^[11][12]

Death[edit] Pitney was touring the UK in the spring of 2006 when his manager found him dead in his hotel room in Cardiff on April 5. An autopsy found the cause of death to be a heart attack and that he had severely occluded coronary arteries.^[13] His final show at Cardiff's St David's Hall had earned him a standing ovation; he ended with "Town Without Pity".^{[citation needed]} He was buried at Somers Center Cemetery in Somers, Connecticut.^[14]

[Rodney]

In my top favorites by him, how could I neglect to mention Pitney's "Only Love Can Break a Heart" (thanks for the reminder of it) and his "Half Heaven, Half Heartache "?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ctQukD5ZA

https://youtu.be/MMzzQQRFsQI

Both of these records sit at the pinnacles of songwriting and arrangement excellence, in my view. (Bacharach wrote the first one.)

 

 

[Peter]

I just wanted to mention Gene Pitney one more time. Consider the immorality of “24 hours from Tulsa.” What a douche bag that, “discussed character” was in that song. His early hit, “I want to love my life away” was the type of silly pop that used to drive my Dad crazy especially if everyone else in the car started to sing it when it came on the radio, which it did about once an hour. Now who else is there that is like a rock . . . and roll? Peter    

Bob Seger. From Wikipedia: A roots rocker with a classic raspy, shouting voice, Seger wrote and recorded songs that deal with love, women, and blue-collar themes and is an example of a heartland rock artist. Seger has recorded many hits, including "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man", "Night Moves", "Turn the Page", "Still the Same", "We've Got Tonight", "Against the Wind", "You'll Accomp'ny Me", "Shame on the Moon", "Like a Rock", and "Shakedown", which was written for Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). Seger also co-wrote the Eagles' number-one hit "Heartache Tonight", and his recording of "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001.

[Peter]

I can’t remember if we talked about this before, so here goes. I certainly think Heart’s “Dreamboat Annie,” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Crazy On You,” and “What About Love,” are solid gold.

But what is the saddest video of all time? Heart’s “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You.” I won’t say why. No spoilers. I never picked up on the theme from the radio. Watch the video.   

[Peter]

One of the most beautiful refrains created is from “Take a Bow” by Madonna. I think she is saying, “I will always be in love with you.” It is on You Tube. Give it a listen. It has a slight hint of the orient. Peter   

[Peter]

Worth a listen? Want a song to make you feel good and naughty? Read at your own risk. Raunchiest hit song ever. The only thing she leaves out of what she’s gunna use is “lips.” Where she mentions arms I would replace it with “lips.” Makes sense to you Grasshopper?

The Pretenders, "Brass in Pocket" Songwriters: Christine Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott

Got brass in pocket
Got bottle I'm gonna use it
Intention I feel inventive
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Got motion restrained emotion
Been driving Detroit leaning
No reason just seems so pleasing
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my imagination

'Cause I gonna make you see
There's nobody else here
No one like me
I'm special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention give it to me

Got rhythm I can't miss a beat
Got new skank it's so reet
Got something I'm winking at you
Gonna make you, make you, make you notice

Gonna use my arms
Gonna use my legs
Gonna use my style
Gonna use my sidestep
Gonna use my fingers
Gonna use my, my, my imagination

'Cause I gonna make you see
There's nobody else here
No one like me
I'm special, so special
I gotta have some of your attention

[Peter]

On 5/4/2019 at 4:14 PM, Peter said:

My top five Gene Pitney songs?

I Wanna Love my Life Away.

24 Hours From Tulsa –  the ending, “I can never, never, never, go home again” has got to be one of the best endings of any song, ever.

Only Love Can Break a Heart.

Town Without Pity.

I mentioned that I disliked "24 Hours From Tulsa" because the singer cheated on and left his wife one day after meeting a pretty woman in a bar. But it was a "cautionary tale" sung with great sadness. That final scene of the video when he is looking into the camera solidifies my opinion. It is a great song, with deep moral, meaning.