Being on call this weekend I am pretty much tied to the house, or at least close proximity, in case of a telecommunications emergency. So while I should be cleaning the house and doing other mundane chores, I’ve been fooling around on iTunes and loading up my iPod. In fact, I’m listening to my iPod now, which is surprising since I usually need silence to type a coherent blog entry.
“Xanadu”, Olivia Newton-John.
I got to thinking that if my iPod ever came up missing, whomever found it would think that I’m a complete whacko with my tastes in music. While I was searching around iTunes today, I nearly pouted because “(You’re) Having My Baby” by Paul Anka and Odia Coates was nowhere to be found. When it the last time you heard that song? Not to fret, while it’s not on iTunes I was able to download a decent MP3 of it and load it on my iPod anyway.
“(Keep Feeling) Fascination”, Baxendale. (Found on a Human League tribute album).
Did you even know that there is a Human League tribute album? It’s called “Reproductions” and came out a couple of years ago. I found many of the remakes startling, but I really like the treatment of the popular ‘Fascination’. While I was goofing off today, I did take time to see what 12-inch singles I had left in my collection and I found the rare “Fascination!” album that came out in 1983. This was a filler EP between “Dare” (which contained “Don’t You Want Me”) and the follow up album “Hysteria”, which contained “The Lebanon”. I’m eager to get a turntable or two into my home studio setup I’m building so that I can do some club-type spinning again and get it down on CD. I think I might rework a version of Fascination for 2005. Back in ’93 I re-edited a version of Boy Krazy’s “That’s What Love Can Do” that earned some airplay on the radio station I worked for AND the nationally syndicated Open House Party. That was cool. I wonder if I can duplicate that ‘success’. It seems that it would be much easier today now that we have computers and such.
“Tragedy”, Bee Gees.
Earl and I did get to Circuit City tonight on an important mission. The second season of “Wonder Woman” is out on DVD and of course I had to get our copy. Earlier this evening we had the opportunity to watch the full 90-minute second season opener, when Wonder Woman moved from the 40s to the 70s. When fx and SCI-FI used to show this episode they could successfully hack it down to a 60 minute version, so it was good to see the whole thing intact. We also picked up the first season of “Charmed”, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “The Parent Trap” (the original version). Anyone see a Disney influence lingering there?
As I’m listening to “Tragedy” I’m thinking I can successfully mix the original with Steps version from 2000. Hmmm, interesting.
“Invisible”, Clay Aiken.
To date, I’ve loaded a mere 180 songs on my iPod. Save for Paul Anka and Loveland’s “Don’t Make Me Wait”, they’ve all been downloaded from the iTunes music store. That’s either a serious chunk of change or a LOT of Diet Pepsi. I have to admit it’s the former.
I still say the bridge in “Invisible” (the part that goes “Reach out…” for the musically challenged) is pure pop bliss. It has a wonderful key change, as well as Partridge Family type backing vocals. Absolutely pleasing to the ear. Clay Aiken can sing with the best of them, and according to media reports, might even out-diva our beloved Elton John.
If you see me on the street with the tell tale white ear buds in my ear, ask me for a listen. I’ll gladly share and you never know what you might hear.
