Adding to The Music Challenge …

Before every wedding there’s always a rehearsal dinner. For ours, we invited anyone that was in town back to the lodge for a lovely brai. People were mingling on every floor. I was with the younger adult crowd laughing and sharing on the lower level with the pool table and bar. THIS moment was one of the BEST moments of the entire weekend. My great friend, and wedding stylist extraordinaire, serenaded us with an acapella version of this little ditty. It was AMAZING.  Well, probably because HE is amazing. He blew everyone away. And I felt like it was this sweet little gift only he could give me for my wedding weekend.

90. Tim Curry, Sweet Transvestite (1975)

My brother made the wedding party announcements as we arrived back to the lodge. He introduced each bridesmaid and groomsman; then it was our turn. One of the few requests I gave my DJ. Clifford and I were going to walk into this one as a married couple so help me. Because, you know, it’s Billy Bloody Idol.

91. Billy Idol, White Wedding (1982)

My little sister had compiled a fantastic mix of genres. My sisters, Chelle, my Stylist Extraordinaire and myself sang and danced all night long. We were on the top floor literally shaking the house at times, but there was no stopping us. We crooned, we belted, we bopped and we boogied until the wee hours of the morning. Here are just a few that made my wedding reception the most incredible party it could have possibly been.

92. Fred Astaire, Just The Way You Look Tonight (1959)

93. Sister Sledge, We Are Family (1979)

94. The Cure, It’s Friday I’m In Love (1992)

95. The Temptations, My Girl (1965)

96.  Journey, Don’t Stop Believin’ (1981)

97. The Chiffons, One Fine Day (1963)

98. Blue Swede, Hooked On A Feeling (1974)

99. The Reflections, (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet (1964)

100. Billy Joel, Uptown Girl (1983)

101. The Tokens, The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1961)

102. John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, You’re The One That I Want (1978)

103. Louis Armstrong, What A Wonderful World (1969)

104. Ben E. King, Stand By Me (1962)

There are a lot of songs I could list while reminiscing our time together over the years. Many involving our 1500 break ups, but this month is all about the love.

So here we go, adding to the Music Challenge, and sharing our love story at the same time …

The beginning…

When I first met Clifford, I questioned his taste in music. He wasn’t that fresh off the boat, but he was still going through this European phase where he was totally loving Techno. If there are two kinds of music I really can’t handle, it’s Country and probably Techno. Maybe it’s not even called Techno anymore, I don’t know, but it’s that wholly unoriginal and insane electronic noise with a repetitiveness that persists to the point of grating on my every last nerve.  It seriously all sounds the same. And because it all sounds the same, I could basically pick any Techno song ever made and insert it here. But because he still has their CDs downstairs, I will give you the Chemical Brothers as a reminder that I probably shouldn’t have dated Clifford to begin with.

84. Chemical Brothers, Brothers Gonna Work It Out (1998)

Our first song…

We would drive out to Tybee Island at like 3 in the morning during our college years. First as friends, then as more than friends. I am the last person to say they overplay songs on the radio. To me, the ones people whine about being overplayed are the popular ones that I love. Why hear them less when you can hear them more? Shawn Mullins’s Lullaby played probably every 15 minutes back then. I can say, quite sincerely, it was overplayed. But it also played every time we were together.  Ipso facto it became our song — temporarily, of course. Now I hear it and I want to scratch out my eyes but with something very dull to make the pain lengthy and excruciating because that’s what I deserve for ever having picked this song as “our song” (though really it was Clifford who picked it – a story for another day).  Anyway, here it is, our first song …

85. Shawn Mullins, Lullaby (1998)

Our actual song? ….. Typical? Yeah. Expected? Of course. True? You betcha. And probably one of my favorite songs of all time. Reminds me of the man I adore every time I hear it.

86. Ozzie Nelson, Dream a Little Dream (1931)

Now, moving forward, please keep in mind, that deep down, for all my bravado, I am a total cheeseball at heart. I’m a tourist. I’m stereotypical. I like tacky, over-the-top and yet completely expected things. So some of these songs are going to be cliché. Probably most of them, and overly so. I’m okay with that because I basically consider myself one big walking talking cliché. Not a lot of nuance to my actions and overall approach to life, but again, I’m ok with that.

The ceremony…

I had promised myself from the moment I was introduced to this song on our good old Commodore 128 that I would walk down the aisle to it. And I did.

87. Pachelbel Canon in D (a wicked long time ago)

We had hired a violinist as our music maker for the wedding. I found out shortly before that the violinist had to cancel and was replaced with a flutist? Clifford didn’t notice. I didn’t really either. In fact, when I brought it up the other day because I’d forgotten the ordeal he said, ”Are you kidding me? We spent actual money on a *expletive* flutist for our wedding? SERIOUSLY???!” The only thing I cared about other than nailing Canon in D for my entrance, was playing this song as we made our exit as a newly married couple. Let’s just say it’s not the same being played on a flute (okay, maybe a violin wouldn’t have been much better, but a flute?) …

88. Natalie Cole, This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) (1975)

Let’s skip to the wedding reception now shall we? I essentially hired my little sister to be our DJ for our big to-do. Her fee was gratis. She had a ridiculous song library, and this was really back before iTunes was anything to note. It was more like the Nabster or Limewire days… you know, when music was free– in an illegal kind of way. Because Cliff and I are cheap and were totally broke, and she really does have good taste in music, and our rehearsal dinner and reception venues had a built-in sound system, girl basically burned a bunch of CDs and let them spin.  She did a pretty killer job and took the few requests I had and added them in. No Country or Techno music was allowed, of course.

Our first dance…

Could there be any other song for that moment? It should be law.

89. Etta James, At Last (1961)

That was the first and only time I have ever danced with my husband. He stepped on my feet every second of the song, but all I really remember is his big doofy grin. It was amazing.

More songs will be mentioned over the next few weeks as I share details of our special event, but  I’ll leave you with these for now. Enjoy them as much as I enjoy them (except the Chemical Brothers, of course).

It took me back to Elementary School. I had to have been in Kindergarten or 1^st grade. There was a talent show, I believe. The details surrounding the event are a little hazy. It was definitely a variety show of some sort. I remember this blonde girl who was probably in 5^th or 6^th grade (she seemed SO much older than me at the time) was going to do a dance performance to this slow sad song. It was beautiful, though. I fell in love with the song at the time — so so 80’s, but that’s ok. The dancer had this gorgeous baby blue costume that was so sparkly and soft and fluid. I could have watched her dance forever. The song was Don’t Cry Out Loud by good old Melissa Manchester – remember her?

Thanks to this memory hitting me hard,  I am adding my top most memorable songs from Elementary School to The Music Challenge. Enjoy.

78. Melissa Machester, Don’t Cry Out Loud (1978)

These next songs were sung by my entire grade at one of those end-of-year concerts the music program has to put on. The theme was Disney and my class was given The Little Mermaid. I remember belting out these two particularly.

79. The Little Mermaid, Under The Sea (1989)

80. The Little Mermaid, Kiss The Girl (1989)

I don’t know what possessed me really, but I tried out for choir in the 5^th grade and made it. In their defense, I think they did accept everyone who wanted to join. I somehow did make the elite Double Ten as an alternate, however. The Double Ten were the top twenty singers of the entire choir. They did special performances and competitions if I recall correctly like singing Christmas ditties at the Concord Mall. Granted, there were usually only 25 or so people in choir in all, so making the Double Ten as an alternate probably shouldn’t be as celebrated as the flattering success that it was in my mind. I think our choir director must have had a thing for Bette Midler because we were given Wind Beneath My Wings and this supposedly optimistic one as well …

81. Bette Midler, From A Distance(1990)

Another song stuck in my mind from those choir days is Take These Wings. Once it’s in there, you can’t get it out.

82. Take These Wings(19??)

And last but not least … Can they even play songs like this in school these days???

83. The Cat Came Back (wicked old folk song)

I’m also a person who would attend a concert for entertainment. I want to see an incredible performance. I’m about showmanship. I want an experience. Say what you will about her, but Madonna is a performer not a singer in my book. A concert she produces would be worth my time and money. As much as I love a musician unplugging here or there, I do not want to pay well upwards of $75-$100 to watch someone sit on a stool for two hours knocking out acoustic versions of their top hits. I mean, I’m watching them sit on a stool for two hours… Not my cup of tea and a waste of money in my book.  And you can totally forget it if it’s a concert filled with nothing but new music. I paid to hear what I already know, not some experiment you’re running on an unsuspecting crowd to test your creative juices which in a lot of cases pale in comparison to your earlier career successes.

Over the years though, I have made it to a few concerts and when I hear one of the musicians’ songs on the radio, it takes me back to those moments.

Adding to The Music Challenge, songs from all of the concerts I ever attended:

My first concert ever was in the Grand Stands at the Elkhart County Fair. My grandparents listened to Ray Stevens. My mother listened to Ray Stevens. His music played often throughout my house and when he came to the county fair, we were all over that like white on rice. The man and his music are witty, funny, and totally entertaining.

70. Ray Stevens, The Streak (1974)

My first concert with friends was an Audio Adrenaline concert at Epworth Forest in Indiana. Remember them? Youth group teens everywhere flocked to this one. I remember I bought my first concert shirt there. It was orange.

71. Audio Adrenaline, Big House (1993)

Most people know by now that Dave Mathews was originally from South Africa. This is why I think my husband and sister-in-law were such big fans. They went to the Dave Mathews concert at the Lakewood Amphitheater  every year. When Clifford and I started dating, a ticket was bestowed upon me as well. Other than Ants Marching, I had no clue what the hell he was playing. It was all new music and it sounded terrible, not like the Dave Mathews music people had paid to hear played. It was my least favorite concert experience.

72. Dave Mathews Band, Ants Marching (1993)

I was SO psyched to see Art Garfunkel in concert! He played at the SCAD Theater in Savannah. He was wonderful and I am just so happy I can say I saw him live. It was beyond what I thought it would be.

73. Art Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Waters (1970)

SCAD started this free New Alumni concert in Forsyth Park in Savannah the year Clifford was graduating. They chose George Clinton as their inaugural musician. Of all of the concerts I have ever been to, this was the surprise. I LOVED it! I never considered myself a fan of funk, but boy can George Clinton and his peeps Turn. It. Out. I have a whole new appreciation for the genre. Now a funk song is always included  on my top ten jams list.

74. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Give Up the Funk (1977)

There is something about this man that draws me to him and his music. He’s been compared to Freddie Mercury, and maybe that’s the hook that always keeps me coming back for more. In 2007, my sister and I took one of our youth group girls to see him in concert at Center Stage (formerly Earthlink Live!) in Atlanta. You want to talk about showmanship? Performance? Yeah, and he’s sexy as hell? Everyone should take time to see Mika in concert at least once in their life.

75. Mika, Relax, Take It Easy (2006)

I’ve already posted about my Styx experience, I think, but essentially my dad had gotten Chelle and I track seats at the Elkhart County Fair to see them. It was fantastic! They were fun and light and just utterly sensational.  Their energy was off the charts! I’d wanted to see Styx in concert for years, and it was sort of neat to be able to see them playing back near my hometown actually.

76. Styx, Come Sail Away (1977)

This was the concert that I won tickets to through the Mark Arum radio show in Atlanta. It was at the Verizon Amphitheater. I took my younger sister and it was such a beautiful night. Loved every minute of it.

77. Boston, More Than A Feeling (1976)

I love road trips. Like with a capital L. They make me happy. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely moments when I’m ready to get out of the car and simply be done with the whole ordeal. Highways and byways can easily become monotonous solitary trails seemingly leading to nothing more than a great big abyss, but I like the time these trips give me to slow things down, take a step back and just think about things.

Driving from Atlanta to Northern Indiana recently, I was doing just that- thinking. Certain songs are more conducive to internal contemplation and deliberation. There are definitely times when you want to roll down the window, let the wind hit your hair, and put the pedal to the metal while blasting tunes that just totally pump you up. Road trips are not those times for me. Partly because rolling my window down while going 79mph on an interstate doesn’t do my hair any favors (you’ve seen my hair on a good day, right? forget after hazardously wind-swept conditions), but also because they are the times allocated to quiet consideration and meditation. It’s the time for me to put things back in perspective because inevitably something somewhere in my life is horribly out of whack. I realized on this last 1,340 odd mile journey, that Classic Rock is it for me.  It relaxes my mind. Again, it puts things in perspective. It speaks truths and allows me to reflect on what really matters.

This particular list is so expansive, I’ll likely be adding more to it along the way. In the meantime, the following songs are being officially added to The Music Challenge because every single one of them has been invaluable to expanding my mind in some small way during one of my many road trips through the years (in no particular order):

50. The Band, The Weight (1968)

51. Kansas, Carry On Wayward Son (1976)

52. Styx, Renegade (1978)

53. Bob Dylan, Like A Rolling Stone (1965)

54. Journey, Don’t Stop Believin (1981)

55. Steppenwolf, Magic Carpet Ride (1968)

56. Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb (1979)

57. Ozzy Osbourne, Crazy Train (1980)

58. Eagles, Hotel California (1973)

59. David Bowie, Space Oddity (1969)

60. The Doors, People Are Strange (1967)

61. Elton John, Rocket Man (1972)

62. Blue Oyster Cult, Don’t Fear The Reaper (1976)

63. Buffalo Springfield, For What It’s Worth (1967)

64. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Freebird (1973)

I begin with my Junior prom. The theme was Take My Breath Away. I still remember sitting in the Home-Economics room with the prom committee when one of my comrades threw it out there for consideration. All I’ll say, given that it was prom, it could have been SO much worse. I’d gladly accept a Top Gun inspired prom slow song over something inspired by the sinking of a gigantic ship. I’m just saying …

So here goes. Added to The Music Challenge are bad ballads from the 90s that take me back to the Oakwood Inn (my Junior prom location) OR to Fairfield Jr.-Sr. High School’s cafetorium (where every other school dance was held including semi-formals. um, yeah).

Time to hark back to those awkward pubescent years my friends…

36. Berlin, Take My Breath Away (1986)

37. Celine Dion, Because You Loved Me (1996)

38. All-4-One, I Can Love You Like That (1995)

39. Elton John, Can You Feel The Love Tonight (1994)

40. Guns N’ Roses, November Rain (1992)

41. Seal, Kiss From A Rose (1995)

42. Boyz II Men, End of the Road (1993)

43. All-4-One, I Swear (1994)

44. Toni Braxton, Breathe Again (1994)

45. Extreme, More Than Words (1990)

46. Meat Loaf, I’d Do anything For Love (but I won’t do that) (1994)

47. Whitney Huston, I Will Always Love You (1992)

48. Aerosmith, I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing (1997)

49. Celine Dion, My Heart Will Go On (1997)

Adding to The Music Challenge – songs from around the world. Or rather songs that remind me of being around the world.

Italy - I was living in Arezzo, Italy. I was 21, I think, at the time. It seemed like friends and I were at a club every other night. The one we frequented the most was Dolce Verde (Sweet Green). It was a gorgeous club with several different music venues spread throughout the property. It had swimming pools and greenery. Gorgeous place. We were in the main part of the club and they’d been playing whatever Italian pop hits were running the charts. I didn’t really speak Italian. Whatever I knew, I learned while I was there. It was very Lost in Translation – me living in Arezzo. So I never understood a damn thing when it came to the music. Rhythm is universal, apparently, of which I have none. But it was fun dancing to an Italian Top 40 all the same. Suddenly, those familiar words began echoing throughout the room. “Young man …” I was SO pumped! The thing is, I didn’t even really get to partake because I was fascinated by this group of people that knew little to no English whatsoever gyrating and SINGING ALONG word for word to YMCA. These were people that definitely didn’t know what the lyrics meant, let alone what a YMCA was, but here they were, hundreds of twenty and thirty-somethings belting out line after line of the Village People’s most famous number like Aretha Franklin belts out Respect. It was awesome. Whenever YMCA plays to this day, I can’t help but be back in that club watching a bunch of Italians dancing and singing along with an American classic.

30. The Village People, YMCA (1978)

https://youtu.be/CS9OO0S5w2k

Italy (take 2) In the vein of being able to sing a song word for word without actually knowing what any of the words mean, brings me to number 31 of The Music Challenge. Somehow I learned this entire song while I was living in Italy and yet I don’t know what any of it means. The funny thing is, the song isn’t even Italian. It’s like French or Spanish or something? Still reminds me of Italy though, every time.

31. Manu Chao, Mi Gusta Tu (2001)

https://youtu.be/AZ7oROlf5ys

The Netherlands – Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. One of my favorite airports ever. Beautiful airport. Beautiful city. Beautiful people. That said, things got ugly. I arrived to this song playing on every television screen in the terminal. It also played everywhere else I went in Europe that trip. I had a 20 hour layover for my return home and I swear the video played every fifteen minutes on every TV at every lounge and at every gate. I was so over Train by the time I was flying back to the States.

32. Train, Drops of Jupiter (2001)

https://youtu.be/7Xf-Lesrkuc

England – Just preparing to go to London had me listening to these two songs a thousand times on my ipod, let alone when I was actually there. Now when I hear them, I can’t not think of fish and chips, red phone booths and Doctor Who (for some weird reason?).

33. The Clash, London Calling (1979)

https://youtu.be/EfK-WX2pa8c

 34. Warren Zevron, Werewolves of London (1978)

https://youtu.be/nhSc8qVMjKM

South Africa – The perfect ironic scenario. This song played everywhere while I was there and I laughed every damn time. Seriously.

35. Toto, Africa (1982)

https://youtu.be/FTQbiNvZqaY

Any songs you have to add to the list from your travels?

Unless you had a significant other that week, you typically went with a group of friends. You also typically cleared the dance floor the moment a slow song came on. You promptly exited the cafeteria floor (that’s where a lot of my school dances were) because it was time to claim your location on the wall. The slow songs were terrible and the country songs thrown in made my stomach turn. Even then, surrounded by farmers and Country-Western-loving-fiends, I hated Country music.

BUT, once the painfully depressing slow song segment would end, it was back to business. Shimmying and shaking to Billboard’s top hits. There were always those songs that got everyone going like YMCA and The Loco-Motion.  And then there were the everyday chart toppers with a few old school songs thrown in to boot. A little Madonna, a little Prince, a little NKOTB … school dances could easily be a fun, safe and pretty upright way to spend a Friday night with your friends. And yes, I am well aware things have changed – OR maybe they haven’t changed as much as we might think.

I was in my car a few years ago and AC/DC came on the radio. Love me some AC/DC. Of course it was You Shook Me All Night Long. And of course I began screaming singing along at the top of my lungs. Who doesn’t with this one? But the funny thing is, I was listening to the lyrics for the very first time. I knew the lyrics, yes, I had to in order to be able to sing along, but this was the first time in my life (in the 50,000 times I’d heard it) that I was actually listening to the lyrics. HOLY SHIT.

So this song played at my junior high dances. It played at my high school dances, too, and I don’t know that that was any more appropriate. Do you know the lyrics? It’s sort of like my Fast Times At Ridgemont High experience. Growing up, I watched Fast Times more times than I can count. It was always playing on some cable channel when I was a kid. Totally edited, mind you.  Call it naiveté or blissful ignorance, but though I laughed quite heartily at Spicoli’s antics or Brad Hamilton’s sorry state,  it was only when watching the movie, unedited, years beyond my youth, that I realized how much content I hadn’t fully comprehended.

My virgin ears and eyes should have been completely appalled at the obscenities heard, seen and implied in that film. Don’t get me wrong, I still totally love that movie; it’s a classic. And I’m no prude, but seriously? Where were the parental controls? Heck, where were my parents? Letting a child with delicate sensibilities watch as Phoebe Cates demonstrated some unseemly carrot eating techniques to a young and impressionable Jennifer Jason Leigh. So. Wrong.

Back to some AC/DC playing at the school dance. With the Fast Times concept fresh in my mind, where were our teachers during these dances? Where were the authorities making good life choices on our susceptible behalves? We, very vulnerable (and rather sheltered in some cases) youngsters, were unknowingly receiving a fast and loose sex education disguised as melodious music merely meant to swing and sway to. Ok, maybe not always unknowingly …

So I’ve decided to add to The Music Challenge with today’s throwback. Just a few songs I boogied to with wholly inappropriate lyrics… well, inappropriate for excessively hormonal tweens and teens to be gyrating to in a confined space. But every time I hear them, I’m taken back to that cafetorium floor and a really bad DJ who likely grew up to be a meth dealer one day.

The Music Challenge #6

26. AC/DC, You Shook Me All Night Long (1980)

27. Sir-Mix-A-Lot, Baby Got Back (1992)

28. Madonna, Like A Virgin (1984)

29. Color Me Badd, I Wanna Sex You Up  (1991)

Help me out here. What were some poor song choices played at your school dances?

My younger sister and I have discussed this topic at great length over the years. It’s almost like a game. When we go, what should our funeral song be? What would be a great funeral song for the people we know? (although that version of the game can get a little mean – funny as hell, but a little mean).

You can actually go several ways with the funeral song question. I’ve decided to add my go-tos to The Music Challenge list as the following songs always make me think of death and funerals when I hear them. Not that I’ve ever heard a one of them at an actual funeral. In fact, I’m used to hearing rather slow and melancholic hymns, but the bottom line is, when these songs flash across the radio, I have had the thought “THAT would be a GREAT funeral song for…”

Here are my funeral song additions to the list:

16. A horrifically sad sentimental ditty that has your family and peers bawling like babies.

Sarah McLauchlan, I Will Remember (1999)

Don’t be this dead person. It’s bad enough hearing it on every SPCA commercial.

17. Something more subdued yet reflective creating just enough sniffles in the crowd that denotes your life literally brought the audience to tears but not in an Old Yeller way, more like in a Free Willy kind of way.

Billy Joel, The River Of Dreams (1993)

Love this one.

18. A song that sums up your life. Something that really speaks to the time you spent on this Earth.

Tennessee Ernie Ford, Sixteen Tons (1955)

Sums it up for most people …

19. Something celebratory.

Blues Brothers and Ray Charles, Shake a Tail Feather (1980)

Because how awesome would it be to have people grooving at your wake?

20. An inspirational ode to the people of the world.

Louis Armstrong, What A Wonderful World (1967)

A bit of a tear jerker, but such a great song to go out on.

21. The cruel route (if you hated everyone around you).

Bette Midler, The Wind Beneath My Wings (1988)

Yeah. You really hate people if you play this one.

22. The honest route (if everyone around you hated you).

Meredith Brooks, Bitch (1997)

Not kidding. This one is a frequent flyer on Younger Sister’s and my funeral song list for other people…

23. The cheap laugh.

Monty Python, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life (1979)

Don’t you want your family and friends to smile at least a little bit?

24. My current favorite and possibly the one I will claim as my very own funeral song one day (far far away from today) – a fun one. I know funerals and fun don’t typically mix, but after all of my years, I’ve realized, funerals are for the living. Might as well remind them they are alive. (and that I had pretty damn good taste in music to boot)

James Brown, I Got You (I Feel Good) (1965)

26. And though I absolutely love the man, I already have Clifford’s funeral song picked out.

Johnny Cash, Ring of Fire (1963)

That’s not morbid, right?

Christopher Walken rocking out to the musical stylings of  Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice. In-freaking-credible. Everytime I hear ANYTHING by Fatboy Slim, the first five seconds bring me to Christopher Walken killing it in this music video.

Song number 15 of 365. Watch. Absorb. Enjoy. (and you’re welcome)

15. Fatboy Slim, Weapon of Choice (2003)