Midlife Crisis Hawaii

Yes, Girls Day is coming up on Sunday, 3/3/13.  But before we get started, I wanted to give a shout out to my brother Terry who was born on Girls Day (yes, my parents wanted him to be a girl – but about the closest thing they got was him being born on Girls Day).  So anyway – Happy Birthday Terry!  And thanks for letting me listen to all your music!

Speaking of which (nice intro, eh?) – since Girls Day is coming up, I’m looking for songs with a Girls Name in the title or anyplace in the song.  Never mind if someone had already listed a song that you thought of – list it anyway.  And include a link to the song if you’d like – but more than 2 links in a post will put your post in moderation.

Here, I’ll get started with a few:

I dare anyone to karaoke this song!

“Sara‘s off on a turnaround” – Las Vegas Turnaround – Hall & Oates

A song about a tape recorder…

Remember – any girl’s name in a song title or in the lyrics.  And Happy Girls Day
* and Happy Birthday Terry!

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all that he stood for, I thought we’d do a music blog on Freedom.

I’m looking for songs pertaining to freedom.  I know there were lots of them in the 60′s.

And to help it out, I’ll also take any songs with the words Freedom or Free as lyrics in the song, in the title, or in the band/artist’s name.

So let’s get started:

If I Had A Hammer – Peter, Paul, & Mary

What The World Needs Now (Abraham, Martin and John) – Tom Clay

Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Born Free – Andy Williams

I Want To Break Free – Queen

500 Miles – Peter, Paul, and Mary

List your songs about freedom – or share any thoughts you have about freedom.

…or as volleymom2 suggested: Song that you can listen to over and over again.

When I used to buy a new 45, I used to listen to it over and over again.  Just ask Jules K.  She’ll tell you about when I bought the Love Grows (Where My Rose Mary Goes) 45 record – and being my next door neighbor – she had to endure me playing over and over again.  Sorry, Jules!

Remember how we used to put the record on the stereo and move the record-holder-arm-thingie in the up-and-out position so when the tone arm reached the end of the record, it would automatically go back to the start of the record.  That was pretty cool, eh?

But back on topic – as volleymom2 suggested – Songs that we listened to over and over again.

When I’m on my computer and listening to songs on You Tube, I find myself listening to certain songs over and over again.  Such as:

For Rob@96744

And finally…

So, what are songs that you listened to over and over?

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It’s happening this Saturday – The Beat’s DISGUISE @ C’est Si Bon.

• Soulz
  
• Chaos
• Funkshun

It’s going to be good fun!  See if you can find me there as I’ll be in costume!
See you there!

In our last blog entry – What’s Your Inspiration – a few songs were mentioned.  AnkleBYTERS and KAN listed different versions on Chicago’s You’re My Inspiration (AnkleBYTERS version) and You’re My Inspiration (KAN’s version).  And ct listed Hold On by Triumph.

So I thought we’d do a music blog of Inspirational Songs.

I have to admit that there were times that these songs gave me hope and helped pull me out of my funk – a little bit, anyways.

Here’s one that always comes to mind first.

This one was from “Social” days.  (The flip side of Long Time To Be Alone)

Lonely People – America

Smile A Little Smile For Me – The Flying Machine

And Hero – Mariah Carey

Okay, those are some of my “go-to” songs when I need a lift.  What are your Inspirational songs?
* If someone already listed a song – that’s okay.  List it again!

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Do you have your “Disguise” ready?  You only have about 2 more weeks.
btw, I heard that Rob Yamamoto will be joining Roy Yonashiro and Funkshun that night.  It just might be a mini Natural High reunion!

I think you know how much I love music.  All kinds of music from pop to jazz to show tunes to punk, etc.

But sometimes there is a certain song that just bugs me.  And it seems like – or maybe I just notice it more because of how much I dislike the song – it’s played on the radio ALL THE F’n TIME!    WWD!

Here’s my Number One most hated song:

This one is a close second:

And this one when it was popular used to give me a stomachache:

What are your most hated songs?  Could be anything from pop to rock to even Christmas songs (sally).  Any specific reason why you hate the song?

Glen Campbell just had his final Hawaii concert last week.  I didn’t go, but my favorite Glen Campbell song came immediately to mind:

By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Such a depressing song…

Then I thought about other depressing songs that I used to listen to over and over again.  I don’t know why.  Was I a depressed child?  Did I imagine that someday that might be me?  Did I like feeling sorry for myself?  Was there something missing in my life?

Or, did I just enjoy music?  Meaningful lyrics.  Touching songs.  Songs that tug at your heartstrings and makes you think.  Music that messes with your brain.

Here’s more:

She’s Leaving Home – The Beatles

I’ve Found Someone of My Own – Free Movement

Diary – Bread

Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan

What Am I Crying For? – Classics IV (Notice at the 2:30 mark he sings “What am I lying for”?)

Seasons In The Sun – Terry Jacks

Honey – Bobby Goldsboro

Father and Son – Cat Stevens

Okay, that’s enough for me (I could go on forever).  Now I leave it up to you.  Sad Songs.  Don’t worry about posting something that’s already been posted.  Post a link if you have one.  No more than 2 links per post or your post will go into “awaiting moderation”.

And if anyone wants to analyze me…

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This Friday (9/7/12) – Take your pick – No depressing songs, I promise!

Ready for the long Labor Day weekend?  How about we celebrate with music.  I’m looking for songs that have to do with work.  Could be the song title, lyrics in the song, the band’s name, the artist’s name, a band member’s name – anything related to work, labor, jobs, occupations, etc.

And don’t worry if you’ve posted something that’s already been posted.  I don’t expect you to read every single post.  Just list the title/lyric/name/etc. and if you’d like, a link to a YouTube video of the song.  *Adding more than 2 links in a single post will cause your post to go into moderation – so help me bump up the post count and try to keep it to one link per post.  But post as many times as you’d like!

Let’s get the weekend started:

Working for the Weekend – Loverboy

Work To Do – Average White Band

Telephone Man – Meri Wilson

Please Mr. Postman – The Carpenters

The Police (band name)

“Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl fantasy…”
Don’t Stand So Close To Me – The Police

Whoa, this is harder than I thought.  Time to rack your brains.

GO WARRIORS!
GO WAHINE!

On Monday’s post, we looked at songs with “intros” – so now I’m looking for songs with reprise.  I know, it sounds weird, but maybe you’ll catch on after a few samples.  And since the reprise is at the end of the song, I’ll note the time where it starts so you can skip to it if you’d like.

Plus, I know there aren’t many songs with a reprise so I’ll allow songs that are blended into other songs.  WTH is Rodney talking about?  Just follow along.  LOL

Half Penny, Two Penny/A.D. 1958 from Paradise Theater (5:57):

Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five from Band On The Run (5:10)

Dreamboat Annie Reprise (2:50)

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise):

All You Need is Love/She Loves You (3:25):

Like A Virgin with some Billy Jean thrown in (2:35):

That’s all I have for “reprise” songs.  Can you name any?

And now for some “blended” songs.

Lights/Stay Awhile – Journey:

The Load Out/Stay – Jackson Browne:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMJYmYg5BXw

Man, I love this song

Show me what you got!

I’ve been wanting to create a playlist of songs with intros.  So I need to enlist your help.

Here’s what I have so far:

I’m sure a lot of you remember this one from “socials”:

The Chicago Bulls used this intro – but did you know it was tied to a popular song?

Here’s one from the 80′s:

This one from the late 70′s (I used to air-guitar to this number):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQifd7O_N5k

Off the Big Bam Boom album:

This one sounds like an old familiar hit, but it’s just an intro:

This one is cute – the intro, that is:

* Did you catch the swear word in the song?

Sometimes the “intro” isn’t a different song, it’s just a part of the song that sounds different than the tune itself.

Like this one for example:

And this one:

And this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5tq0ACqInk

Or sometimes, the intro can be just sound effects:

Now for this one, you have to skip to the 4:15 mark to hear the intro song.
Or you can just listen to the whole thing.  The first song is pretty cool:

And finally, I have a funny story that goes with this one.  The intro is more like an extended version of the song.  When I first got the tape, my friend asked to borrow it.  After he put it in his in-dash cassette player and thought it was malfunctioning because he didn’t know about the intro.  Had him worrying little bit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5PMqt6J0gw

Okay, so lay it on me.  What songs do you know that have an “intro” tied to it.  I want to extend my playlist.  On Thursday, we’ll take a look a songs that have a “ending” to them – so put your thinking caps on and hunt You Tube (but save the “ending” ones for Thursday).

So on Saturday night, me, Paula, and Sally went to the Shinshu Kyokai bon dance.  There we met up with Rodney Kaneshiro (from the band Wasabi) and his girl, CT.

Sally and Paula were dancing around the yagura in the drizzling rain.  But during a break while we were all standing around together talking story, Rodney K. says “Hey, that girl standing over there looks like Judy Yogi from the Sounds of Innocence band.  Sally quickly agreed and said “Yeah, no?”.

So eventually, as the suspense was just killing Rodney K. – he slides up next to her and says “Excuse me, is your name Judy?”  And she replies “Yes!  How did you know?”.  Rodney K. told her that he recognized her from the Sounds of Innocence.  She felt a little embarrassed in front of her family.  But hey!  She was one of the top female singers back then!

Quickly, Sally introduces me and says “Rodney writes a blog called Midlife Crisis and he always tells his story of how his first ever slow dance was at a Nuuanu Y dance – dancing the the Sounds of Innocence playing “If I Could Reach You”.  Judy said that she remembers that she used to sing that song!

I introduce Sally and the rest of the people as Judy calls over her husband, Les and introduces him.  She said that he was the bass player for Sounds of Innocence.

Now the conversation was really taking off and we asked if they still played music.  They both replied that they don’t play anymore although Judy was asked a few times if she’d like to start singing again.  But she said that it would take up too much of her time as she wants to spend her time with her family.

We talked of how a lot of musicians from the old bands are coming back together again and forming new bands to play all the golden hits that we remember.  Like Wasabi for instance.  And we talked about the 70′s Nightclub Reunion gigs and bands like Powerhouse and Funkshun.  And of course, I had to pitch this blog where old memories and music live on.

We encouraged them to come out and see this resurgence of musicians from yesteryear living their passion for music once again.  And maybe one day – Les and Judy too will again be sharing the stage.

But before Les and Judy were about to leave, we had to take pictures – in case nobody believed my story.

Les, Judy, and me

Les, Judy, and Sally – notice the bon dance towel around Sally’s neck

Rodney Kaneshiro, Les, and Judy

After Les, Judy and their family left, I mentioned to Rodney K. that we’re so glad that he had the courage to approach Judy and ask if that was her.  He said that he would’ve regretted not asking as he would’ve kept wondering.

Oh how I would love to see the Sounds of Innocence get back together once again.  Or at least listen to Judy sing “If I could Reach You” as I slow dance with Paula…

So with that – it’s music time once again.  I’m looking for songs that you remember from the early to mid-seventies.  Doesn’t have to be dance songs – just ones that really stick out in your memory.  I’ll start off with one: