This is the week we found out about the very odd origins of the James Bond theme, went ambient with George Winston, and spent quality time with my favourite husband and wife team, the Tedeschi Trucks Band. With a finishing touch of some pretty funky cover versions, it was quite a week.
Image: Carmen Guedez
This series of blog articles cover a week of mini-feature posts from the Loving the Music Facebook page and group. This makes it easier for our music-loving community to search through our ever-growing archive of songs, backstories and trivia.
15th - 30th April 2020 - Featured Musicians:
Monty Norman - George Winston - Tedeschi Trucks Band - YES -
Youssou D'Dour - Greg & Duanne Allman
1 March: Some information is just too good not to share. I was watching one of my favourite British TV series, QI, last night and this amazing fact about the very odd origins of the James Bond soundtrack were revealed. At first I thought this was all a bit of fictitious fun, but on further research found it to be 100% fact.
The song was originally titled Bad Sign, Good Sign and written by Monty Norman for a musical adaptation of author VS Naipul’s “A House for Mr Biswas, which was supposed to be the follow-up to the ‘50s hit musical Irma La Douce. The project was dropped but Monty Norman kept one of the songs that he particularly liked on the back burner.
When Monty Norman was commissioned to write the theme song for Dr No in the early ‘60s he reworked the back-burning song. Norman kept the melody but split the musical notes for a more staccato feel. “The moment I did Dum diddy dum dum dum, I thought my God that’s it,” Norman said. “The producers liked this new take on the tune. And so did Sean Connery. He seemed to like it very much, I mean, when you see the film and the camera pans up to Sean’s face and he says “Bond, James Bond” from that moment onwards, Sean Connery became a star," Norman said. "The James Bond theme was imprinted on people’s minds and the whole James Bond franchise was suddenly up and running."
And was the original song about a suave super-spy? Not at all. It was originally about a man from Trinidad who had an unfortunate sneezing problem! I kid you not. Good news is that I managed to find the original for your Sunday pleasure. Enjoy! Never say you don’t learn anything from being a member of this page! 😎
2 March: Hi music lovers. This evening’s selection is for piano fans. Back in the far distant ‘80s I was introduced to the music of the mega-talented pianist George Winston by good friend Anthony Shelley. His early albums like December, Autumn and Winter into Spring were often categorised as ‘new age’, but I think any relaxing instrumental music of that era was lumped into that fuzzy genre (much to the annoyance of many Jazz musicians of the time, I should imagine).
I was extremely happy to come across George Winston’s 15th solo piano album, Restless Wind (2019) recently. The eleven tracks include interpretations of songs by the likes of Sam Cooke, The Doors and Stephen Stills (among others). I explored the album this afternoon and am mightily impressed. Take a listen to his George Winston’s take on the Sam Cooke classic, A Change is Gonna Come.😎
2 March: The second track from George Winston’s 2019 album, Restless Wind, is his interpretation of The Doors dark classic, The Unknown Soldier. Seeing The Doors perform live was the impetus for George Winston to take up the organ as an instrument. He soon shifted his focus to the piano, and the rest is history. This isn’t his first tribute to the music of The Doors. In 2002 he released the album Night Becomes Day, a 13-track interpretation of their music.
If he hadn’t have gone to that live performance we may have been deprived of the 18 albums he has released over the years – and that would have been a huge shame!
Here’s The Unknown Soldier. Enjoy
2 March: My closing track from George Winston isn’t from his new album, but a recording of his version of Pachelbel’s Canon. It is a piece of music that I loved long before I ever knew its name and has remained one of my favourite ‘unwind’ pieces. Whenever feeling frayed around the edges I can put on headphones, close my eyes, and zone out to this. I always emerge on the other side feeling much better! Wishing you all a wonderful Monday night and a fantastic musical week. 😎
4 March: Derek Trucks, in my opinion, is one of the top guitarists around at the moment. Most of you will be familiar with his remarkable but understated guitar style, but if you are a ‘Trucks newbie’, do yourself a favour and spend an hour or two on YouTube or Spotify getting to know him and The Tedeschi Trucks band.
I’ve chosen three tracks for today that helps showcase his talent. First up is a duo with the master of the Dobro and Resonator guitars, Jerry Douglas. This clip of them performing Little Martha was filmed during a live performance at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium last month and is well worth a listen.
The second track from my Derek Trucks selection for today features he and his wife, Susan Tedeschi’s, band named simply The Tedeschi Trucks Band. Here they perform the 1967 Box Tops hit, The Letter.
The clip was filmed at the Gathering of the Vibes concert in 2015. I’ve always liked the song and this version has taken it to a new level. Enjoy! 😎
My closing track for tonight is a showstopper. Recorded at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007, it features Derek Trucks, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton playing the Blind Faith classic, Can’t Find My Way Home. This must have been a show to behold with all 28,000 concert tickets being sold out in just 22 minutes!
I love watching good guitarists in action and my hope is that The Tedeschi Trucks band decides to grace our shores sometime in the near future. I have it on good authority that it’s an experience you won’t forget. Have a happy Wednesday folks.
7 March: It’s Saturday again and time to take a listen to some remarkable cover versions of songs that you all know, performed by musicians you all know, each giving their individual slant to the original. Thanks to the members of The Guilty Pleasure of the Cover Version for sharing these classics.
The first is a cover of a Simon and Garfunkel hit, America, performed in true Prog Rock style by the masters of the genre, YES. This is a live recording of them performing the track that was featured on the 1996 Keys to Ascension album. Hold on to your hats...
The second cover version I have lined up for today is from Youssou N’Dour, the Senegalese maestro who always manages to lend his magic touch to any song he chooses to perform. Here he is with a track he recorded for the Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur album, John Lennon’s Jealous Guy. 😎
The closing track for today’s selection of unusual (and seldom-heard) covers comes from the Allman brothers. No, not the group, just the sadly missed brother’s Duane and Gregg. The track is from the group Hour Glass, which was the name of the band the duo recorded under during 1967 and 1968, releasing two albums.
Neither of them was particularly impressed with the type of music the record company wanted them to play, and after the second album they disbanded Hour Glass to form The Allman Brothers Band – and the rest is magical musical history.
The band’s two albums, Hour Glass and Power of Love, have been re-released and available from the Allman Brothers Band official website. Here we join Gregg and Duane performing The Beatles huge hit, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). 😎
II hope that you find these weekly recaps of Loving the Music mini-features make your musical world a little easier. Happy exploring! Join our Facebook Community here for a music group who does more than just post a link to a song.
Please enjoy browsing through our archives:
July 2020: 1st-7th July - 8th - 14th July - 15th -21st July - 22nd - 31st July
June 2020:1st - 7th June - 8th- 14th June 2020 - 15th - 21st June - 22nd - 30th June
May 2020:1st - 7th May - 8th - 14th May - 15th - 21st May - 22nd - 31st May
April 2020: 1st - 14th April - 15th - 30th April
March 2020:1st - 7th Mar - 8th - 14th Mar - 15th - 21st Mar - 22nd - 31st Mar
Feb 2020: 1st - 14th Feb - 15th - 28th Feb
Jan 2020: 1st - 14th Jan - 15th Jan - 31st Jan
The Design Train is a social media marketing company run by music-lover Andrew Knapp, who also hosts the Loving the Music Facebook pages. The Design Train specializes in content creation on a wide variety of topics designed to compliment the client's objectives.
Words © Andrew Knapp
The author does not own the copyright of any of the videos used in the article
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