Song of the Day: June 28, 2023 (T-36)

June 28, 2023 (Song #2006): “I’m Lucky” by Joan Armatrading (1981).  No lyric video today; instead click on “more” below the video to see the lyrics and sing along. T-36* brings me to the 1986-1987 year and a summer visit to Moab, Utah, where Cassie & Marcus & I went hiking and I couldn’t stop singing this song; it’s definitely my theme song. 

Very soon after coming home from Utah, I tried to get a job at Columbia Records, but, since I couldn’t type, I never made it past the introductory interview (but thanks to Colgate graduate Paul MacCowatt, Tom’s dad, for trying to help me out).  Soon thereafter, I went to a music business head-hunter (she was a blonde version of Susie Meyerson on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” complete with cigarettes and pigeons on the windowsill); she asked me if I would take a job as a receptionist at a jazz label in Hell’s Kitchen.  I said yes and went outside to call my parents from a payphone to tell them that, if I didn’t come home, they might find me somewhere around 11th ave and 57th street.  When I got to the interview at GRP Records (555 West 57th Street), Mark Wexler gave me a cassette of Dave Grusin’s album with “Mountain Dance” on it; my heart practically stopped on the Metro North train back to Westport when I heard the song: Curtis Beller, one of the kitchen guys at the Alta Lodge, had used it as the background in his end-of-the-year Emp slideshow.  I took it as a sign and took the job; it was an amazing experience. Lucky, indeed.  LYRICS INTERVIEW WITH JOAN ARMATRADING APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

 

Song of the Day: June 27, 2023 (T-37)

June 27, 2023 (Song #2005): “Cracking” (1985) by Suzanne Vega.  T-37* brings me to 1986 when I lived in Alta, Utah for almost a full year (August-May).  I became obsessed with this record and, in between working at the front desk of the Alta Lodge, driving downtown to purchase and arrange the flowers for the dining room, playing guitar and singing in the Sitzmark, hanging out with my roommate Julie and friends Cassie & Marcus and recording with John and skiing as much as possible, I listened to this record (in Tom’s cool room – was it called “the laundry”?? – on his record player). Five years later I started dating Peter Propp (Mr. Sing Daily to you) and then married him on this day in 1992 – Happy Anniversary, honey – ) and did it all again (this time with him at the front desk and me up in the reservations office with the iconic Mimi Muray Levitt, trying to use what I’d learned at Columbia Business School to help computerize their systems – I was passionate about Merge Letters and Spreadsheets.) LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

Song of the Day: July 1, 2023 (T-33)

July 1, 2023 (Song #2009): “Ain’t Life A Brook” (1980) by Ferron. LYRICS & CHORDS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

T-33* Instead of focusing on 1990 (the year Caroline left New York to go to Kellogg and I applied and got into Columbia Business School) I’m going back to the 1970s (you’re welcome, Russell) when the Shermans and the Addarios joined forces in friendship, fun and our mutual love and devotion for family.  Sundays at the Addario house on North Ridge Road were filled with inlaws and outlaws and swimming and running and laughing and eating and singing (and drawing on the walls);  it was a magical time and they are magical people (I’m still wearing the necklace that they gave me for my Bat Mitzvah in 1977).  To get a sense of this wonderful family with whom we shared a big chunk of our childhood, listen to this: SIBLING REVELRY with Kate Hudson & Oliver Hudson featuring Lynsey & Lisa Addario. Oh, and the connection to this amazing song?  Lisa Addario taught me this one and it still gives me “brain joy” (Lori Hashizume: thanks for this phrase. 🙂  Happy Birthday to Catherine Lewis, my equally beautiful and magical sister-in-law. Xoxoxo

Song of the Day: June 30, 2023 (T-34)

June 30, 2023 (Song #2008): “Once In A Very Blue Moon” (1984) sung by Nanci Griffith (written by Pat Alger)

KARAOKE! Listen to Nancy singing it on “Austin City Limits” in 1985.  APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

T-34* (today we should call it: TMI-34*) brings me to 1989, my 3rd year at GRP Records.  Three years before, while singing in the Sitzmark Bar at the Alta Lodge, a man told me that I sounded “just like Nanci Griffith; have you heard of her?” “No, “I said, “Well, I tell ya,  you sound just like her.”  So, I immediately picked up my phone and found Nanci Griffith on Spotify (HAHAHA! This is almost 40 years ago, people!. Scratch that.)  Rather, I drove the thirty miles down Little Cottonwood Canyon in the lodge van (which they let me use because I was buying and arranging the flowers for the dining room) and found a record store in Salt Lake City (I’m thinking it must have been a “Sam Goody’s” or “Tower”?) so I could buy a Nanci Griffith CD. 

The minute I got back to the Lodge and put it on, my world stopped spinning: Nanci Griffith’s voice was nothing like mine, but it was also like nothing I’d ever heard before and I wasn’t completely sure I liked it.

I was confused; the song lyrics, melodies, harmonies and instrumentation were compelling but her voice was high and wobbly (did that guy in the Sitzmark think my voice was high and wobbly?). Still, there was something about her songs and her voice that made me listen to the CD 25 times that first week.  I quickly learned “Once In A Very Blue Moon” and played it constantly; the chord progression became so much a part of me that I still play it every time I sit down at a piano (I may have borrowed it and put it into at least one of my own songs).

At one point in 1986, Nanci Griffith performed in Salt Lake City and, since my brother Russell was visiting, we went to the concert together.  I noticed him looking at me during the concert and I said: “What?” and he said: “Watching you watching her is way more entertaining than watching her….” Yep.

Now, back to T-34* and 1989: I was still working at GRP Records and one day my boss said to me and Alison: “You should take these tickets to this CD Release Party, no one else wants to go.” “Who is performing?” I asked and when he said “Nanci Griffith”, Alison King and I ran out of work and headed to some bar in the middle of Manhattan and down the stairs to a tiny cocktail party where no one was paying any attention at all to the music.  We sat down at a table right in front of her and grinned and basked in her incredible talent while she played the songs from her new Storms” album just for us.

Later that year, I began to get frustrated by the work/paycheck ratio of my job.  I’d been hired as a receptionist and was quickly promoted when they needed someone to learn “Lotus 1-2-3” in an effort to computerize all of their written production schedules. After learning the program and transferring all the written documents to computerized spreadsheets, my boss, Dotty Kenul, quit (I’ve always felt sad about that.)  They gave me her title (“Production Coordinator”) and soon added “Director of International Distribution” (since I came in to the office at 9am, and, thus, was the only person in the office who could communicate with the foreign distributors when they were at work), and I got raises – which, industry standard dictated, was 10%.

But, when I stepped back and thought of how much work I was putting in (I almost always stayed at work until the art department – who came to work at noon – was ready to go home, usually at about 8pm) and how little I was being paid, I asked my boss to reconsider my salary.  He said no, but they offered to print my name in the CD credits (if you have any old GRP CDs, check it out).  When I asked for more money again a few months later, they changed my job title to “Director of Production”, but still, no money.

I thanked them for the gesture and started looking for another job.  

Around this time, I had been listening to a CD sampler that I loved called “Here It Is: The Music” put out by Rykodisc, which had three songs on it that blew me away: The Red Clay Ramblers’ “Home Is Where The Heart Is”, Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin’s “Henry & James” and, of course, Nanci Griffith’s “Once In A Very Blue Moon”

Somehow I got an interview with Don Rose at Rykodisc and they offered me a job with a generous salary and an allowance for moving to Salem (I remember visiting their offices at Pickering Wharf). Though I would be sad to leave my sister, Alison and NYC, I was ready to be fairly compensated. 

When I told my boss, he told the co-president of the company, Larry Rosen, that I was leaving; Larry quickly ushered me into his office: “What is going on???” I told him “I’ve been asking for a raise for months.” and he said: “I did not know that. I’ll give you whatever you want to stay.” He then proceeded to match the Rykodisc offer and then some.   It truly felt like a “Once In a Blue Moon” moment and I always felt that, somehow, I had Nanci Griffith and that song to thank for that raise.

Song of the Day: June 29, 2023 (T-35)

June 29, 2023 (Song #2007): “Summer Fly” (1987) by Cheryl Wheeler.  Happy Birthday to Marcus Dippo & Meghan Murray! LYRICS & SONG HISTORY APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY 

T-35* brings me to 1988.  I remember working at GRP when Craig Sussman, from Cypress Records/A&M, came to visit the office and put this CD on my desk (Half-A-Book).  I took it home to the apartment I lived in (301 East 69th St) with Caroline (who’d just started an amazing job in M&A at Goldman Sachs – hence the fancy apartment address) and Alison King (who was getting her master’s at the NYU School of Journalism), and we listened to it over and over again. We loved Cheryl’s voice and songs; I couldn’t get her music (especially this song) out of my head. I remember asking Craig, on a subsequent visit: “How come she’s not famous???” He gave several reasons that it hadn’t worked out for her and it changed my perspective on the connection between talent and fame: I’d thought that if a person was talented enough, s/he could automatically become famous.  I’d never considered the politics and fickleness of fame.

A small part of me had wanted to be a performing singer/songwriter and I’d signed up to play at a few open mics in the city; I remember not telling anyone I was performing since I’d only ever performed for welcoming audiences of friends & family and I wanted to see what it was like to perform for strangers.  The performances went well enough, but they weren’t all that much fun (and, to be honest, no one ever invited me back). When Craig told me about Cheryl Wheeler’s career, I realized that being a good singer/songwriter isn’t enough; real magic has to happen on so many levels for a person to be “famous”.  At some point I realized that true success for me is satisfaction and contentment and that being “famous” in the grand scheme isn’t going to make me happy.  I don’t know how Cheryl Wheeler feels about not being Taylor Swift-level famous, but I hope she knows that she impacted at least one life (mine) in a beautiful way. (P.S. It turns out that being a music teacher in my hometown has given me a comfortable amount of attention and a tiny taste of “fame”; being recognized by my students in our local grocery store sparks a lot of joy in my life, even if it drives some of my friends and family crazy.)

P.S. Peter, Rose, Bennett and I used to listen to a lot of Cheryl Wheeler on our roadtrips.  Our favorites  Cheryl Wheeler songs are “When Fall Comes To New England”, “POTATO” and “Estate Sale”.  Please check ‘em out.

Song of the Day: June 26, 2023 (T-38)

June 26, 2023 (Song #2004): “Only You” Sung by The Flying Pickets, written by Vince Clarke of Yaz (known as Yazoo in Europe) (Here’s the YAZ version: Only You by Yaz) SONG HISTORY APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

T-38* brings me to 1985, the year I graduated from Colgate.  I learned this song while in London on a semester abroad in the spring of 1984, then it was my solo in the Swinging ‘Gates on an arrangement that was done (or brought to the group?) by Betsy Morris.  Betsy is just one of the many friends I made in the ‘Gates but she stands out for many reasons (she had the most beautifully striking voice – and face – and she was an incredible musician); it crushed us all to pieces when she died a few years ago, but I have amazing memories of her (she took me to my first Bonnie Raitt concert in Boston and she and I and Emily Mikesell sang a beautiful Sarah McLaughlin song – “I Choose You” at Jen Dowd & Artie Spangel’s wedding.) (I could write an entire blog post on Emily Mikesell and Jen Dowd; stay tuned?!)

1985 is also the inaugural year of the “Celibacy Retreat”, which kicked off with a trip to Delaware during Colgate’s “Senior Week”.  There are 16 of us – Amy, Elizabeth, Jeannie, Jenny, Jenny, Judy, Kathy, Leslie, Liz, Meg, Megan, Sandy, Sonya, Storey, Susie & me – and we’re still friends (we had our most recent reunion a few weeks ago in Westbrook, CT at Liz’s and my belly still hurts from laughing.) Today’s SOTD was a huge favorite for most of us and was sung at at least one of our weddings. 

And, speaking of weddings: today is my parent’s 63rd anniversary and I am SO glad they got married. 🙂  SONG HISTORY APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

Song of the Day for June 25, 2023 (T-39)

June 25, 2023 (Song #2003): “Softly” (1962) written by Tony De Vita and Hal Shaper and sung by Matt Monro.

LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

T-39 brings me to 1984, my junior year and the year that my Swinging ‘Gates mentors graduated from Colgate.  At this point, you’ve heard me talk about a bunch of important moments in my life and it must seem that I have as many pivots in my journey as I have days I’ve lived. But, seriously people, being a Swinging ‘Gate was, for me, like being in a sorority in the movie “Legally Blonde” – there is no story without it.   The seed for becoming a Swinging ‘Gate was planted in a letter I received the summer before I went to Colgate. Colgate totally knew what it was doing when they assigned Alison King to be my “big sister” (hence, the letter): she became one of my closest friends, the Alto 2 to my Soprano 2 (her ba-dums and “Steam Heat” brought the house down), my roommate in NYC, my work partner at GRP, a bridesmaid in my wedding plus a soul sister to my daughter Rose (since they have the same birthday).  At first, the idea of being in a women’s a cappella group didn’t resonate until I heard the group sing at convocation. I was immediately struck by Jenni Wilson’s golden locks (all brunettes want to be blonde, people) and solid soprano, Ellen Rosen’s hysterical intros and flirty “Freddy, My Love”, Alison’s aforementioned bass lines, Cindy Dietzel’s beautiful voice and incredible lead on “Never My Love”, and their leader: Leslie French with her outrageously gorgeous voice and solo on “The Rose” (move aside, Bette).  When I found out that Leslie was just a sophomore (and had been elected leader as a freshman!), I knew I had to get to know her.  Fast forward 35+ years and she continues to blow me away with knowledge and clear vision of the world around her, not to mention her sharp sense of humor. I’m still grateful to her and all the others for letting me in the group and giving me a song to sing and friends who I still love. 

Song of the Day for June 24, 2023 (T-40)

June 24, 2023 (Song #2002):  “I’ll Dance At Your Wedding” (1946) written by Herb Magidson & Ben Oakland and performed by Ray Noble & His Orchestra with Buddy Clark.  T-40* When I was growing up, this was one of the songs my dad used to sing a lot; I especially remember him singing it to me on my wedding day in 1992. Today I used the Buddy Clark version to make a lyric video in honor of their first grandson (and our first nephew), Jeremy and his beautiful wife Lindsey.  Happy Wedding Day!!!! Also, happy anniversary to Jen & Artie! xoxo APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

Song of the Day for June 23, 2023 (T-41)

June 23, 2023 (Song #2001): “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” written by bassist Peter Cetera, who also sang the lead vocals on the track, and producer David Foster and recorded by the band Chicago. Happy Birthday to Chrissy Brennan, Jen Purdy, Brianne Chasanoff and Ann Mueller. xoxoxoxo LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

T-41* brings me to 1982 and one of the saddest days of my life (sorry to be a downer), but it also opened a door on something that has sort-of become my special party trick, so to speak: you’ve heard of “The Wedding Singer”? Well, I’m “The Funeral Singer”.

In the summer of 1982, people in our town endured several horrible teenage deaths within just a few days of each other.  It was a super sad time for all of us and, if you don’t want to read about it, I suggest you skip today’s story.

At first, I couldn’t figure out what was going on when the yellow phone rang while I was still in bed. It was my friend Tommy McMahon’s sister, Ann Marie.  We’d spent the entire day before at the McMahon’s house, hanging out in Tommy’s bedroom (where I heard today’s SOTD), and she’d meant to ask me, but she’d forgotten, which is why she was calling now, a few hours before the actual funeral: “Will you sing in Tommy’s funeral today?”

I remember thinking: “This is not something you can say ‘no’ to.” and saying “Of course, which song would you like?”.  She said that he and Sharon, his girlfriend, loved the song “Yesterday”.  “Of course, of course, no problem,” I said, even though I’d never played the song before.  I quickly got out of bed, dressed without showering, grabbed my guitar and ran down to the living room to the Great Songs of the Sixties songbook to learn the chords. When my friends came to pick me up for the funeral, they were aghast to see me standing in the door with my guitar. “What are you doing with that??” and, then, speechless as we made our way to Assumption Church on Riverside Avenue.  Our friends all filed slowly into the church and someone led me to the choir loft – by myself.  I could see all my friends and half the town filling the aisles and seats (Tommy was a very popular football player from a well-loved Westport family).  When it was time for me to sing, I remember singing the first few words, but then nothing else; I blacked out.  Afterwards, as I came down the narrow stairs from the choir loft, I grabbed a friend’s arm and said: “Did I do okay?” and she patted my arm and said: “You did fine…”  I thought: “No, no, no, I’m not asking if I was good, I’m asking if I actually sang the whole song.”  To this day, I still don’t know.

P.S. I’ve never posted “Yesterday” as a SOTD, mostly because it’s too sad for me.  I chose today’s SOTD instead, because it reminds me of that time more than any other song and there’s a sweetness that makes me grateful for friends, even if their time with us is too short.

Song of the Day: June 22, 2023 (T-42)

June 22, 2023 (Song #2000): “To The Morning” (1972) by Dan Fogelberg.  T-42* is the ROAD TRIP edition of the SOTD 60-day countdown. This song comes from senior year of high school during a coach bus ride to Jorgensen Hall at UConn for an All State Orchestra concert; a younger classmate (Julia Hendrickson, I think) introduced me to this record and couldn’t believe I didn’t know it already.  I’m so glad she did! (If the YouTube link doesn’t work, try clicking HERE.) Thanks to Kerstin & Vijay for their beautiful meadow. xoxo  Happy Birthday to Alison Stone Steiner! xoxo LYRICS & SONGFACTS APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY

P.S. Many of my musical memories take place in moving vehicles:

  • Our parents sang in the car all the time: “Oh, You’re So Much A Part of Me”, “Abba Dabba Honeymoon”, “We’re All Together Again”, “The Quartermaster’s Store” (we sang it a lot faster than Burl Ives and we added hysterical words, like “well, it’s tea, tea, tea, that makes you have to…” We were a hoot!), “Teenager In Love” (see SOTD from June 10), and, as we got a little older: “Only One” by James Taylor and “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” (the Hall & Oates version).
  • During our Orphenian trip to Belgium, France, Holland and Germany in the summer of 1981 we sang “Fa Una Canzona” every chance we got, plus, we memorized every word from the two cassettes that Jeff Provost thought to bring on the trip (it was a different world, kids): Stevie Wonder’s “Hotter Than July” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run”.
  • After a full day on the mountain skiing with Melissa Balaban we sat in traffic waiting to get out of the parking lot and she introduced me to Rickie Lee Jones (sigh);
  • Steve Grune coming over and getting me to sit in his car in our driveway so I could hear Jimmy Buffett sing “Chanson Pour Les Petite Enfants” and inducting me as a Parrothead;
  • Sitting at the light at King’s Highway North and the Wilton Road driving to Staples captivated by the harmonies in The Spinner’s: “Working My Way Back To You”.
  • Driving to football games, tailgates and tunks during college in Van Goat with the amazing Swinging ‘Gates, singing, eating, laughing for four years (too many songs to mention, but stay tuned to future SOTD posts for one of my faves).
  • Ann, Cindy, Jeanie, Lisa and I singing along to every song on the radio every time we got in a car (and my father always saying: “How do you know the lyrics to every song??”, then me asking my own kids the same thing 30 years later), but especially: Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” in Spring Lake, NJ during Ann’s bachelorette party.  Good times, good times…

I’m sure there are a hundred more that I’ll think of as soon as I hit “send”, but for now… you get the picture.  Now, go sing…