Band Music from Bands

Quite a few songs with "band" in the title have charted in the U.S. through the years. 

The first one that comes to mind is "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band," from The Beatles' landmark album released in 1967. The Paul McCartney-penned tune (but credited as a McCartney-Lennon composition) reached No. 71 on the charts. 

The following year, The Association's "Six Man Band" made it to No. 47. The song, written by Terry Kirkman, revealed the band's edgy side.

John Fogerty's rousing "Travelin' Band," reached No. 2 in 1970 for Creedence Clearwater Revival. The guys showed they were much more than a bayou-blues band.

Three Dog Night scored a No. 19 hit with the funky "One Man Band" in 1971. It was written by Billy Fox, Tommy Kaye, and January Tyme).  Three Dog Night had 18 songs reach the Top 20; quite an accomplishment for a group that can't get a nod from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Albert Hammond had a No. 19 hit with the bouncy "The Free Electric Band" in 1973. He co-wrote the song with Mike Hazelwood.

And finally, Grand Funk Railroad had its biggest hit in 1973, with the driving "We're An American Band" topping the charts. Drummer Don Brewer wrote and sang the classic song (my favorite by the group).

Some other notable "band" songs include "Band on the Run" by Paul McCartney and Wings (No. 1 in 1974 by McCartney); "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead (No. 69 in 1970 by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter); "Listen to the Band" by The Monkees (No. 63 in 1969 by Michael Nesmith);"Rock & Roll Band" by Boston (uncharted in 1976 by Tom Scholz);  and "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)" by The Moody Blues (No. 12 in 1973 by John Lodge).

Do you have any favorite band songs?

Until the next time . . .

A Relative Beatle -- Louise Harrison

This past weekend I attended the 33rd annual Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort. It's one of my favorite events of the year. 

I've participated as an author on more than 10 occasions, and I've been a patron as many times. This year nearly 200 authors were in attendance, signing and reading from their works as well as taking part in various symposiums.

Louise Harrison at Kentucky Book Fair

The highlight of this year's fair for me was meeting Louise Harrison, the 83-year-old sister of the late Beatle George Harrison. 

She spent an hour talking about her brother, the closeness of her family, and of course, the other Beatles -- John, Paul and Ringo. 

She recalled a time when George came to visit her in Illinois in 1963, several months before Beatlemania swept America. She took him to a dance where there was a live music from a band.

She said that most of the people were dancing or talking, not paying much attention to the band. That changed when George was asked to play a few tunes. Remember, probably 99.9 percent of Americans hadn't heard of the Fab Four in the summer of 1963.

Practically everyone in the audience stopped what they were doing and paid attention to this guitar virtuoso on the stage. When it was over, some folks suggested that the band members ask George to stay in America and be part of the band. 

She offered several other stories, such as the family dealing with World War II and the German bombing of London, helping the band get airplay on U.S. radio stations, George's Concert for Bangladesh, and her final meeting with him in New York two weeks before he died in 2001.


By the way, Louise has written a book titled, "My Kid Brother's Band a.k.a. The Beatles!" I purchased the book and so far it's been a fun read, especially after talking to her. Her voice really comes through on the pages. And she has a perspective on the Beatles that only a loving and caring sister could provide.

Me and Louise Harrison

Louise is going to be promoting her book at other venues in the coming months. Be sure and visit her. You might even get a hug from  this sweet and delightful woman.

Until the next time...

Friendship Songs

I believe most of us value true friends, you know, those folks you can always count on during good times and especially the bad.

We all have our share of fair-weather friends, those who show up when things are sunny but disappear during dark and bleak days. Are they really friends?

I've compiled a few songs about friends--only those with friend in the title--that address the importance of friendship in our lives.

"You've Got a Friend" -- written by Carole King and a No. 1 song by James Taylor in 1971.

"Thank You for Being a Friend" -- written and performed by Andrew Gold in 1978.

"You're My Best Friend" -- written by John Deacon and a No. 16 hit by Queen in 1976.

"That's What Friends Are For" -- written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager and a No. 4 song for Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder in 1986.

"Friends of Mine" -- written by Chris White and performed by The Zombies in 1968 (from the "Odyssey and Oracle" album).

"Friends" -- written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson and Al Jardine and performed by The Beach Boys, a No. 47 song in 1968. 

"Old Friends" -- written by Paul Simon and recorded by Simon and Garfunkel in 1968 (from the "Bookends" album).

"With a Little Help from My Friends" -- written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and performed by The Beatles in 1967 and later a No. 1 song in the United Kingdom by Joe Cocker a year later. (Yes, I know there's a double meaning about the "friends.")

Other songs to consider "Whenever I Call You Friend" (written by Kenny Loggins and Melissa Manchester) and a No. 5 song by Loggins and Steve Nicks in 1982, "Friends in Low Places" (written by Dewayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee) and performed by Garth Brooks, and "Friends," written Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

What are your favorite "friend" songs?

Until the next time (and thank you for being a blog friend)... 

(Information about songs  from Wikipedia)

Fifty Years Ago Today -- The Beatles

Many of us in the United States are celebrating The Beatles today. It was 50 years ago that the Fab Four made their debut on the popular "The Ed Sullivan Show."

We didn't have cable or satellite TV in those dark black-and-white ages. It was the NBC, CBS, and ABC networks that ruled the airwaves.

On on that magical evening on  Feb. 9, 1964, John, Paul, George, and Ringo were in the spotlight, and Beatlemania was in full bloom.

I was at church with my family that eventful evening in Campbellsville, Ky. The one-hour service ended at 8; that's when the "The Ed Sullivan Show" was broadcast.

We hurried home to see the program. I think my Mom and Dad were curious to see the Beatles on TV as well. And then came Ed Sullivan's distinctive introduction, "Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!"

It was earsplitting listening and watching the reaction to the group as they performed, especially the young girls screaming and shrieking. Ed Sullivan even seemed to be shaken up by the noise from the audience.

The atmosphere was simply electric, even for a country boy watching the show in Kentucky.

I've been a fan of the Beatles for more than 50 years, first hearing the group's music on WLS in Chicago and WABC in New York. I suppose I own most, if not all, of their music. 

It's not that often when folks recall where they were when cultural  happenings in their lives. That's usually reserved for events such as the attack on Pearl Harbor, JFK's assassination, the Apollo 11's lunar landing or the 9/11 terrorist attacks.   

Needless to say, the Beatles changed the course of music and influenced countless musicians and non-musicians like me. And it marked the first wave of the British Invasion that led to other acts such as The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, and The Dave Clark 5.

Remember this song -- "We Love You Beatles" from many years ago?

"We love you Beatles
Oh, yes, we do
We love you, Beatles,
And we'll be true

"When you're not near to us
We're blue
Oh, Beatles, we love you
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)"

After a half century, we still love the Beatles. It seems like only yesterday.

Until the next time...

Story Songs: Eleanor Rigby

The Beatles's catalog of music is immense and impressive, to say the least. The group went through different phases of creativity as they matured individually, collectively, and artisitically.

One of my favorite songs is "Eleanor Rigby." It was on the Revolver album in 1966,  which I thought was quite a departure from previous efforts. Many critics consider Rubber Soul, released the previous year, as the transitional album from their pop efforts to a more serious and thematic approach to music.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon could be very thoughtful and reflective in their compositions. "Eleanor Rigby" is a about loneliness. The dominant string arrangement adds to that feeling.

How we interpret the lyrics are subjective as you can discover by researching the song. It can be taken on several levels.

So here are my humble thoughts.

The first stanza is about a lonely spinster who has attended a wedding, and wishes she could marry:

"Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been,
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?"

The second stanza reflects on the emptiness, or apathy, toward religion by the church and worshippers:

"Father Mckenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?"

And in the final stanza the woman has died and no one attended her funeral that was apparently officiated by Father Mckenzie.

"Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father Mckenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved"

Sometimes I think the song could be about a woman who works at the church and is secretly in love with the father -- perhaps a love that will never be consumated -- as they both are destined to lead lonely lives.

And the song ends:

"All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people) 

Where do they all come from? 

All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people) 

Where do they all belong?"

Oh well, like I mentioned above, the lyrics can take on a lot of meanings. How do you interpret the song?

"Eleanor Rigby" lyrics