Tiger Twist

The New England Patriots beat the Bengals in our season opener - Patriots 38, Bengals 24.

Go Pats!!

Soundtrack For Today:  Armando Sciascia & His Orchestra

2,977

California / Dream

Katy Perry created the soundtrack to the summer of 2010!  She began the first day of summer in the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with California Gurls and this coming week, that song sits at #10 while her latest release Teenage Dream, clamps down the top 10 on the other end at #1.  Katy’s album Teenage Dream also rules the charts at #1 this week.

Hear & Now:

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin with a new album of that title.  It came out last month and captures the rebounding Beach Boy at his most creative.  If you know songs like Rhapsody In Blue, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, or I Got Rhythm, try to re-imagine what they sound like with a “Beach Boy-ish” flair. 

This album makes a bit of history as there are also 2 never-before heard and previously unfinished Gershwin pieces that Brian Wilson completed, courtesy of access granted him to the Gershwin archives.

Currently #1 on the Billboard Jazz chart, it's available through Amazon, iTunes and your local record store or visit BrianWilson.com.

Coming Soon:

John Lennon’s 70th birthday would have been next month on Oct. 9 and to celebrate, Yoko Ono has supervised the re-mastering of his solo catalog along with the compilation of a new box set and greatest hits collection.  Of particular note is a special stripped-down version of Double Fantasy, the 1980 comeback album Lennon completed just prior to his murder that December.  All are set for release October 5 on EMI.

Per The Beatles official website: “The Beatles’ original 1973 compilations, 1962-1966 (‘Red’) and 1967-1970 (‘Blue’) have been digitally remastered for worldwide CD release on October 18 (October 19 in North America).” 

The U.S. and British versions of these albums differed slightly in terms of mixes chosen – no word yet if there will be separate versions again and in particular, whether the ‘Red’ album will have the James Bond intro. on Help.

Soundtrack For Today:  iPod on shuffle

Update: No 'Bond' intro on the 'Red' album.

It's All In The Game

Tommy Edwards was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1922 and eventually grew up to be a talented pianist and singer/songwriter.  Edwards died in 1969 of a brain aneurysm at a young age 47.

His self-penned This Chick’s Too Young To Fry, was popularized by Louis Jordan in 1946 while other better-known solo recordings eventually became bigger hits for other artists, such as A Fool Such As I by Elvis Presley (#2; 1959) and The Morning Side of The Mountain by Donnie & Marie (#8; 1975.) 

But it was Edwards’ recording of a timeless ballad entitled It’s All In The Game, which he originally released and took into the top 20 in 1951, that made him stand out.  By the end of the 1950s, however, Edwards was looking to salvage his sinking career and decided to dust off the old tune one more time. 

With a new arrangement of the song that was geared towards the new rock & roll generation (as well as being an early stereo recording) he once again lent his unique voice & performed it on the Ed Sullivan show in September 1958.  It became his biggest and best known hit. 

It’s All In The Game also has a distinct and distinguished history in that it is the only charted song written by a Vice-President of the United States.  Charles Dawes, 30th VP of the United States to Calvin Coolidge during his 2nd administration in 1925, wrote the song in 1912 when he was an investment banker in Chicago.  Prior to the addition of lyrics by Carl Sigman, the tune was known as Melody In A Major and also Dawes’ Melody.  Dawes died in 1951; the same year the lyrics were added. 

On this day in history, Charles Dawes was born in 1865 while today in 1958, his signature piece It’s All In The Game was in its 2nd week of a 6 week run at #1 on the Billboard charts.  And as this tune approaches its 100th anniversary in 2012, it’s clear by the added lyric that the “game” is always on.

Soundtrack For Today: djChrisPickett.com – 

                              Soundtrack To Your Next Event!

O! Say Can You Sing...?

2010 marks the United States’ 234th birthday and throughout the course of Billboard magazine’s chart history, only one patriotic anthem has topped the charts on the 4th of July: My Country ‘Tis of Thee by Jules Levy, which held the honor in 1893.

Our national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, was written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key and was also a chart-topper. But it missed being #1 on July 4 by just a few weeks when John McCormack’s performance reached the peak during the week of Flag Day, June 14, 1917.

My Country ‘Tis of Thee competed heavily with The Star-Spangled Banner for national anthem status and served as such (unofficially) until an act of Congress proclaimed TSSB as our official national anthem on March 3, 1931.

Interestingly, given that the primary subject matter of each song corresponds more to the respective holidays on which they were #1, one has to wonder if the music charts of those days more accurately reflect which song was popularly considered to be our national anthem. 

Soundtrack For Today: Happy Birthday, America!

Whitney Houston holds a distinctive record with her Superbowl XXV performance of TSSB  charting twice on the Billboard Hot 100 – in 1991 and 2001.

Summertime Summertime

Here’s a look back at the songs that were #1 on the first day of summer:

TODAY
2010: California Gurls - Katy Perry f/ Snoop Dogg

Y2Ks
2009 Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas
2008 Lollipop - Lil Wayne f/ Static Major
2007 Umbrella - Rihanna f/ Jay-Z
2006 Hips Don't Lie - Shakira f/ Wyclef Jean
2005 We Belong Together - Mariah Carey
2004 Burn - Usher
2003 21 Questions - 50 Cent f/ Nate Dogg
2002 Foolish - Ashanti
2001 Lady Marmalade - Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink
2000 Be With You - Enrique Iglesias

1990s
1999 If You Had My Love - Jennifer Lopez
1998 The Boy Is Mine - Brandy & Monica
1997 I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans f/ 112
1996 Tha Crossroads - Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
1995 Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? - Bryan Adams
1994 I Swear - All-4-One
1993 That's The Way Love Goes - Janet Jackson
1992 I'll Be There - Mariah Carey
1991 Rush Rush - Paula Abdul
1990 It Must Have Been Love - Roxette

1980s
1989 Satisfied - Richard Marx
1988 Foolish Beat - Debbie Gibson
1987 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
1986 On My Own - Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
1985 Heaven - Bryan Adams
1984 The Reflex - Duran Duran
1983 Flashdance ... What A Feeling - Irene Cara
1982 Ebony And Ivory - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
1981 Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
1980 Funkytown - Lipps, Inc.

1970s
1979 Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
1978 Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
1977 Got To Give It Up Pt. 1 - Marvin Gaye
1976 Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney & Wings
1975 Love Will Keep Us Together - The Captain & Tennille
1974 Billy, Don't Be A Hero - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods
1973 My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
1972 Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr.
1971 It's Too Late/I Feel The Earth Move - Carole King
1970 The Love You Save - The Jackson 5

1960s
1969 Get Back - The Beatles
1968 This Guy's In Love With You - Herb Alpert
1967 Groovin' - The Young Rascals
1966 Paperback Writer - The Beatles
1965 Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
1964 A World Without Love - Peter & Gordon
1963 Sukiyaki - Kyu Sakamoto
1962 I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles
1961 Quarter To Three - Gary U.S. Bonds
1960 Everybody's Somebody's Fool - Connie Francis

1950s
1959 The Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
1958 Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
1957 Love Letters In The Sand - Pat Boone
1956 The Wayward Wind - Gogi Grant
1955 Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
1954 Little Things Mean A Lot - Kitty Kallen
1953 The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) - Percy Faith
1952 Here In My Heart - Al Martino
1951 Too Young - Nat "King" Cole
1950 'The Third Man' Theme - Anton Karas

1940s
1949 Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend) - Vaughn Monroe
1948 Nature Boy - Nat "King" Cole
1947 Peg O' My Heart - The Harmonicats
1946 The Gypsy - The Ink Spots
1945 Sentimental Journey - Les Brown
1944 I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You) - Harry James Orchestra
1943 Taking A Chance On Love - Benny Goodman
1942 Sleepy Lagoon - Harry James Orchestra
1941 Daddy - Sammy Kaye
1940 Tuxedo Junction - Glenn Miller

Good Timing: It took only 4 weeks to go #1 and after 5 weeks on the charts, Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg’s California Gurls is the only summer-themed hit to chart #1 on the first day of summer!

Soundtrack For Today: California Girls / Gurls

Summerzcool

Summer arrives a few days early - at least at Great Woods this weekend with the return of Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band.  Jimmy usually wraps up the summer but this year, he's got us all Under The Big Top and back in Summerzcool.  Not a bad place to be.

Check out his new albums that are out now - Buffet Hotel and Encores. 

Soundtrack For Today:  Nobody From Nowhere