E02 Songs in the Key of Dave - "Then Came the Songwriters"

 

Episode 2 of Songs in the Key of Dave premieres tomorrow at 2pm Eastern on Vinyl Voyage Radio. This episode takes us to the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Featured in this episode are John Denver, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson and many more.

Can't wait until tomorrow? Listen on-demand via Mixcloud.

SOTW - "Rocky Mountain High"

This song forms the basis for one of my oldest musical memories. Yes, John Denver was a staple in my house. And this song was one of my favorites.

 

Taken from John Denver's Greatest Hits from 1973, this song, like the majority of songs on the album, were rerecorded versions of the songs. However, this version was the only one I knew growing up.

Listen to the "Song of the Week" at 10 am and 10 pm, Wednesday and throughout the week on Vinyl Voyage Radio.

Take a listen to the song played on original vinyl below.

Christmas is Coming, the Vinyl's Being Spun

Yep.  It's getting to be that time of year.  Terrestrial radio started playing Christmas music on November 13 here in Chicago.  Way too early, in my opinion.  Especially when they play the same 10 songs every hour.

Last year, Vinyl Voyage went all Christmas for a week in what we called "Christmas Music that Doesn't Suck."   Get ready, the "2nd Annual Christmas Music that Doesn't Suck" is just around the corner.

Over the last several weeks, I've been scouring the local thrift stores for Christmas vinyl goodies. This year, we are adding a few more to the rotation that now exceeds 450 songs.  That's a lot of Christmas music.  I read last year that the local terrestrial radio station that plays Christmas music has only 150 songs or so on their playlist.  And it is painfully apparent.

New this year:

I can't believe I didn't have this album:  The Carpenters:  A Christmas Portrait. This album came out in 1978 and features the oft-heard, "Merry Christmas Darling."  But it has some other great tunes as well, including several instrumentals.  Nothing beats the voice of Karen Carpenter, in my opinion.

John Denver and the Muppets:  A Christmas Together.  This is a fun album, with some silly renditions of Christmas favorites, plus some serious tunes as well.  I love the Muppet take on "Christmas is Coming."

Ray Conniff and the Ray Conniff Singers: We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  Nothing says early 60s like Ray Conniff.  This was one of the best selling albums of 1962.

Narada: The Christmas Collection, from 1988.  This I just picked up the other day.  Narada, of course, was the New Age label founded in 1983.  The popularity of this album spawned other volumes of Christmas music in later years, all of which were released on CD.  This is the only Christmas album that was released on both vinyl and cd.  This is mostly synthesized music and the instrumentation is very 1980s.  In what was cutting edge at the time, one song boasts of being played on a "Macintosh computer with Mark of the Unicorn Performer 2.0 software." Another song is played on a Commodore 64.  Hey, I had one of those computers in the 80s, too!

Plus, I have many, many more.  Mostly compilation albums.  Back in the 60s and 70s, department stores sold Christmas albums.  Firestone was one of the first.  True Value was another.  I Found a Montgomery Ward Christmas album the other day.

More to come.  I am hoping to get that playlist over 500 songs. We will go all Christmas music for a week starting Friday, December 20, 2013.

The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver---on Friday Night Live!

I grew up on John Denver and can sing along to most of his music.  And, I am not ashamed to say...I am a fan.

My parents had every John Denver album and played them all the time.  We rode to the drive-in in the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser to watch John Denver in Oh, God.  We laughed along with the muppets whenever he appeared on The Muppet Show, which seemed like every other week.  I saw him in concert once or twice as well.

John Denver was a ubiquitous part of my childhood and its hard to believe that he has been gone for 15 years. Sure, some of his songs were sappy.  Some were ridiculous.  But John Denver had a quality about him that few, if any, artists have managed to capture in his absence.

The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver was released last week and the album features modern renditions of some of Denver's best songs.  Some of the songs are classic tunes:  "Rocky Mountain High," "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Annie's Song."  But some come from deep within the John Denver catalog:  "Wooden Indian" and "Darcy Farrow" and "Take Me to Tomorrow."

Artists on this album include Dave Matthews, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Brett Dennon, Brandi Carlile, Lucinda Williams, My Morning Jacket and Train (among others).


This album breathes fresh life into these songs.  Take a listen to Dave Matthews singing  "Take Me to Tomorrow."



On April 26, 2013, we will be streaming this entire album on Friday Night Live!  We will reminisce about John Denver and even give away a FREE digital download of The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver.

Friday Night Live! can be heard on Vinyl Voyage Radio from 9-11 (central). On Friday nights, of course.

Friday Night Live!

Join us on April 26, 2013 for the premiere of Friday Night Live.  From 9-11 central time, we will feature albums, songs and discussions about music.  Music will be played on original vinyl and we will also give away free stuff.  That's right, free stuff.

Friday Night Live is streamed via Live365 and also streamed via a live webcam so you can see hear and see the action.

On the premiere episode, we will examine a brand new vinyl LP:  The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver.  This album was just released last week and features modern renditions of John Denver songs.  Artists include Dave Matthews, My Morning Jacket, Lucinda Williams, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and many, many more.

Sometime during the show, we will be giving away a free digital download of the album.

So join us this Friday and every Friday for Friday Night Live. Music, Talk and More.  Only on Vinyl Voyage Radio.