Streets of Philadelphia (1994) – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on December 1, 2024 by observationblogger — 13 Comments

Streets of Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen and sister song Philadelphia by Neil Young are from the Jonathan Demme movie of the same name. Bruce Springsteen won best original song at the 1994 Academy Awards while Neil Young was nominated. Both are exemplary ‘atmospheric’ compositions and showcase the unique musical talents of each. Streets of Philadelphia was a huge hit of course and my first encounter with the music from the film.

– Philadelphia (1993) – Neil Young (Observation Blogger)

Today’s featured track Streets of Philadelphia was recorded during August 1993, at Springsteen’s home studio in Beverly Hills, California, after a personal request by Director Jonathan Demme. It was written and performed for the 1993 film Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks, an early mainstream film dealing with HIV/AIDS. The video was shot in December, with Springsteen singing a live vocal, as he walked the streets of Philadelphia.

Streets of Philadelphia won the 66th Oscar Award in 1994 for Best Original Song as well as four Grammys: Song of the Year, Best Rock Song, Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written for Motion Picture or Television. In the United States, the single peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard, becoming Springsteen’s 12th and latest top-10 hit. It topped the singles charts in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and Norway.

[Verse 1]
I was bruised and battered, I couldn’t tell what I felt
I was unrecognizable to myself
Saw my reflection in a window and didn’t know my own face
Oh, brother, are you gonna leave me wastin’ away

[Chorus]
On the streets of Philadelphia?

[Verse 2]
I walked the avenue ’til my legs felt like stone
I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone
At night I could hear the blood in my veins
Just as black and whispering as the rain

[Chorus]
On the streets of Philadelphia

[Post-Chorus]
Ain’t no angel gonna greet me
It’s just you and I, my friend
And my clothes don’t fit me no more
I walked a thousand miles just to slip this skin

[Verse 3]
The night has fallen, I’m lyin’ awake
I can feel myself fading away
So receive me, brother, with your faithless kiss
Or will we leave each other alone like this
[Chorus]
On the streets of Philadelphia?

The following information includes mainly extracts from the Wikipedia reference at the end of this post:

In early 1993, Philadelphia director Jonathan Demme asked Springsteen to write a song for his film, adding “I want it to play in the malls.” Springsteen replied, “Well, I’m interested, so I’d like to come up with a song for you. If you give me some time, I’ll see, but I can’t promise.” Springsteen recalled adding, “I’m not very good at scores.”

It’s interesting to note here that Bruce Springsteen wrote the title song for the movie – The Wrestler (2008) which I reviewed back in 2022. Springsteen gave them the song for no fee. The song was widely expected to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song where Springsteen would perform it on the awards show, but in what Rolling Stone termed “shocking news”, it was denied a nomination when the Academy nominated only three songs in the category rather than the usual five.

The accompanying music video for Streets of Philadelphia was directed by Jonathan Demme and his nephew Ted Demme in December 1993, and begins by showing Springsteen walking along desolate city streets, followed by a bustling park and schoolyard, interspersed with footage from the film. 

The vocal track for the video was recorded live with a hidden microphone, to a pre-recorded instrumental track. This technique, appropriate for emotionally intense songs for which conventional video lip-syncing would seem especially false. Springsteen initially did this in his 1987 Brilliant Disguise video, singing the song directly into the camera as he sits on the edge of his chair on a Sandy Hook, New Jersey sound stage.

References:
1. Streets of Philadelphia – Wikipedia

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Strawberry Blonde (1997) – Ron Sexsmith

Posted on November 30, 2024 by observationblogger — 26 Comments

My friend Ron told me about this Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith from St. Catharines, Ontario. I listened to this song and it’s a beautifully written song. His name seemed familiar and there is a good reason for that. My friend Randy from MostlyMusicCovers covered him this past June. I’m not sure why I didn’t look at him more then.

‘This song was released on his Other Songs album released in 1997. The album won a Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year in 1998‘.

– Max at PowerPop (Ron Sexsmith – Strawberry Blonde)

Last year my friend Max at PowerPop published an article about this beautiful song from Ron Sexsmith. Another song by Ron called Right Down the Line by Gerry Rafferty featured here in June this year. From the scant that I have heard, I have enjoyed Ron Sexsmith’s music especially his covers of Bob Dylan’s tunes. There was a comment in Max’s article from Obbverse which aligns with my sentiments about today’s featured track Strawberry Blonde:

This kind of song is what a songwriter strives for- good melody, good lyrics, good voice and they all gell together to make something beautiful. And in context, what a perfect title.

Now here’s more from Max’s article:

This song came about when he (Ron Sexsmith) was at a playground with his young son and he observed a little girl being looked after by her grandmother because her mom was in rehab. The mix of innocence of the little girl and the problem of drug addiction of her mom played into this song.

She was not the girl next door
But the girl from ’round the corner
It was at the tail end of grade four
When she came to school one morning

And all eyes were upon her as she took her seat
Her name was Amanda with pretty eyes of green
And hair of blonde, strawberry blonde

Springtime and dandelions
And summer ’round the corner
Was at the tail end of age nine
With a million dreams before her

She lived with her mother in an old decrepit house
If there was trouble she kept it to herself
All summer long, the strawberry blonde

And by her face there was no way to tell
It seemed like all was well in her world
But the neighbors said

Her mother had lost her will
To gin and sleeping pills
It was no life for a little girl

Still I see her face framed in blue sky
At the top of a slide coming down
And when the sirens wailed
(Her mother had failed to rise)

All the neighbors stood outside
As Amanda just stared at the ground

Time flies and years are piled
I’d forgotten all about her
When I saw her down the aisle
Of a streetcar with her daughter

Then I heard Amanda say as she got up
“C’mon, Samantha, girl, this is our stop”
And they were gone, two strawberry blondes

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The Heist of the Century (2020) – Ariel Winograd (Friday’s Finest)

Posted on November 29, 2024 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

I just finished watching on cable this very intriguing and enjoyable Argentine movie called The Heist of the Century (ESP. El Robo del Siglo). Typical police thrillers aren’t usually my cup of tea, but I have to make an exception for this one. Its unique blend of quirkiness, sharp humor, and the undeniable chemistry between these iconic actors of Argentine cinema make it a standout. It’s based on real events of a bank heist which occurred in Buenos Aires in 2006 and appears a faithful and consistent retelling of the actual incident. Three of the principal protagonists in The Heist of the Century also featured in one of my favourite Latin American movies – The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) which I reviewed in 2019.

Storyline:

The film is based on a true story, the robbery of the Banco Río branch in the Buenos Aires town of Acassuso on Friday, January 13, 2006, which was robbed by a gang of six robbers armed with replicas of real weapons. They took 23 hostages and took approximately 19 million dollars from 147 safe deposit boxes.

This is undoubtedly one of those movies that’s best experienced with minimal prior knowledge of its coordination, events, and outcomes – just as I had the privilege of doing. It’s simply a funny way of representing what is considered one of the most ingenious robberies in the history of Argentina. I was certainly impressed by their ‘smarts’, attention to detail and laborious creativity to achieve near as possible the perfect large scale robbery.

The characters felt authentic, cunning but also likeable despite their despicable objective. Really imagine if your mad but smart left-field uncle decided to concoct a crazy plan with his mates to rob a bank and that is pretty much what this is, except ‘real’. I’m sure those who have been effected by a bank robbery don’t see the funny side at all. But there is one scene during their heist where a sequestered mobile phone from one of the hostages keeps ringing and the elderly owner declares its her mobile phone and the attention is due to it being her birthday. The priceless reaction of the robbers to this news and how the leader scolds one of the hostages for not singing ‘Happy Birthday’ with more gusto is one for the movie annals. I relayed it at the end of the post, but unfortunately I couldn’t find a translated version, but gather you’ll get the gist and find it worth your while.

This film is a throwback to films I can remember stemming from the 70s & 80s, of a bank heist including Pacino’s Dog Day Afternoon. The Heist of the Century does comedy and crime so well together. It’s a very fine movie, and I loved the actors as much as the comedy and it’s one you’ll enjoy although may leave an unsavoury taste in the mouth. If you can get past that, then you might enjoy it as much as I did.

References:
1. El robo del siglo (película de 2020) – Wikipedia
2. The Heist of the Century (2020) – IMDB

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Posted in Movies and TV

Strange Weather (2023) – Luke Sital-Singh

Posted on November 26, 2024 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

I’ve since learnt that it takes skill and often a little bit of courage to keep things bare, leaving things so exposed and raw. There’s an honesty to that that I love. 
– Luke Sital-Singh

I believe I found today’s featured song Strange Weather when I presented a song cowritten by Luke Sital-Singh and Christina Perri in May this year called Rather Be. When I heard the lyrics, I thought Strange Weather was a reflection on the Pandemic and sure enough Sital-Singh stated ‘…everything was strange after the Pandemic. ‘Strange Weather’ was a summary of the EP and how I felt in general.

This gentle song is a restrained and sombre number. It was the lead single and title track from L.A. based singer-songwriter, producer Luke Sital-Singh’s 2023 EP. The arrangement effectively enhances the song’s mood and energy with a soothing percussive quality and growing intensity, guitar rhythms, subtle drumming, and layers of sound building that pairs well with Luke’s gentle, melodic vocals.

[Verse 1]
The moon is letting go
Of everything I know tonight
The hours turn to days
The sky is out of phase
Are we alright?

[Pre-Chorus]
Overcrowded ghost town
Sun behind a dark cloud
All my favourite spots have closed down
Nowhere to go now

[Chorus]
Strange weather
Strange weather

[Verse 2]
It seems like yesterday
I could simply drift away from all this
Now I’m not so sure
About anything anymore
If I’m honest

[Pre-Chorus]
Am I out of my mind?
Is it a matter of time?

[Chorus]
Strange weather
Strange weather
Oh, strange weather
Is it gonna go on and on forever?

References:
1. Luke Sital-Singh and the pure beauty and melancholia of “Strange Weather” – American Pancake
2. Folk music biggie Luke Sital-Singh on the cuppa and curries that drive him – The Telegraph Online

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Hurricane (1975) – Bob Dylan

Posted on November 24, 2024 by observationblogger — 10 Comments
Bob Dylan visiting Rubin Carter in prison in December 1975

Hurricane was the tag given to the middleweight boxer Rubin Carter (image left) and is the subject of one of Dylan’s most recognisable post 60’s songs. It is also his fourth most successful single of the 70’s, reaching No. 33 on the Billboard. To this day Dylan’s protest song Hurricane remains one of, if not his most controversial. The song compiles acts of racism and profiling against Carter, which Dylan describes as leading to a false trial and conviction. All charges were eventually dropped against Carter.

 Author Clinton Heylin said that “Dylan had written topical ballads such as The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. But really, the beginning of the song is like stage directions, like what you would read in a script: ‘Pistol shots ring out in a barroom night…. Here comes the story of the Hurricane.’ Boom! Titles“.  

Fun fact:
There is a noticeable mistake in the 8-minute recording at 4:02 where the backing singer (Blakley) gets her line wrong. She sings: “Remember you saw (said) you saw the getaway car.”) The final version of the song, which runs over eight minutes, was spliced together from two separate takes completed on October 24, 1975.

Dylan & Carter 2013

Circumstances surrounding that fateful night which led to Rubin Carter’s conviction, his legal plight and maintenance of innocence was also made the subject of a movie called The Hurricane starring Denzel Washington playing Rubin Carter.

I do not play Dylan’s Hurricane now like I used to, but I sure as heck admire the teasing and biting instrumentation in this, particularly Scarlet Rivera’s marvellous violin playing. Also I like to sometimes hear Dylan’s ‘pissed-off-ness’ in a song. I can see why some ardent 60’s Dylan fans were relieved they had got their old Dylan back again.

Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood
Cries out, “My God, they killed them all!”

Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For something that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world

Three bodies lyin’ there, does Patty see
And another man named Bello, moving around mysteriously
“I didn’t do it,” he says, and he throws up his hands
“I was only robbin’ the register, I hope you understand

I saw them leaving,” he says, and he stops
“One of us had better call up the cops”
And so Patty calls the cops, and they arrive on the scene
With their red lights flashin’ in the hot New Jersey night

Meanwhile, far away in another part of town
Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are drivin’ around
Number one contender for the middleweight crown
Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down

When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road
Just like the time before and the time before that
In Paterson that’s just the way things go
If you’re black, you might as well not show up on the street
Unless you want to draw the heat

Alfred Bello had a partner and he had a rap for the cops
Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowling around
He said, “I saw two men running out, they looked like middleweights
They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates”

And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head
Cop said, “Wait a minute, boys, this one’s not dead”
So they took him to the infirmary
And though this man could hardly see
They told him he could identify the guilty men

Four in the morning and they haul Rubin in
They take him to the hospital and they brought him upstairs
The wounded man looks up through his one dying eye
Say, “Why did you bring him in here for? He ain’t the guy!”

Four months later, the ghettos are in flame
Rubin’s in South America, fighting for his name
While Arthur Dexter Bradley’s still in the robbery game
And the cops are putting the screws to him
Lookin’ for somebody to blame

“Remember that murder that happened in a bar?”
“Remember you said you saw the getaway car?”
“You think you’d like to play ball with the law?”
“Think it might-a been that fighter that you saw
Running that night?”
“Don’t forget that you are white”

Arthur Dexter Bradley said, “I’m really not sure”
The cops said, “A poor boy like you could use a break
We got you for the motel job, and we’re talking to your friend Bello
Now you don’t want to have to go back to jail, be a nice fellow

You’ll be doing society a favor
That son of a bitch is brave and gettin’ braver
We want to put his ass in stir
We want to pin this triple murder
On him
He ain’t no Gentleman Jim”

Rubin could take a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much
“It’s my work”, he’d say, “and I do it for pay”
“And when it’s over I’d just as soon go on my way”

Up to some paradise
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail
But then they took him to the jailhouse
Where they try to turn a man into a mouse

All of Rubin’s cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin’s witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum

And to the black folks he was just a crazy ni%$a
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed

Rubin Carter was falsely tried
The crime was murder “one”, guess who testified?
Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride

How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool’s hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed
To live in a land where justice is a game

Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink Martinis, and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell

Yes that’s the story of the Hurricane
But it won’t be over till they clear his name
And give him back the time he’s done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world

References:
1. Hurricane (Bob Dylan song) – Wikipedia
2. Clips & Pix: Bob Dylan/Hurricane – Christian’s Music Musings

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Romeo and Juliet (1980) – Dire Straits

Posted on November 23, 2024 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

Romeo and Juliet is an epic love tale adapted for two clandestine star crossed lovers brought up on ‘streets of shame‘. Juliet who once had a genuine thing for Romeo has fallen out with him, and Romeo feels jilted that she let him go as if he was just another one of her ‘deals’ after having promised him ‘thick and thin’. Romeo and Juliet is Romeo’s plea to Juliet that she take him back despite his modest talents as a serenador. Because his endless love for her is set in the bars of a rhyme.

From Wikipedia: The song itself, written by Knopfler, was inspired by his failed romance with Holly Vincent, lead singer of the short-lived band Holly and the Italians. The song speaks of a Romeo who is still very much in love with his Juliet, but she now treats him like “just another one of [her] deals”. Knopfler has both stated and implied that he believes Vincent was using him to boost her career.
 
Romeo and Juliet is an iconic Dire Straits tune, but my appreciation now is not as strong as it once was. It once pulled at the old heart strings, but not so much anymore. I hold a higher estimation of some of their other tracks including Brothers in Arms and Tunnel of Love than I do R&J, even so I would never dismiss it from my collection because of its nostalgic significance.

The following information was extracted from Wikipedia:
Romeo and Juliet first appeared on the 1980 album Making Movies and was released as a single in 1981, and attained No. 8 in the UK and 5 in Ireland. It subsequently appeared on their Greatest Hits records and various live versions on other albums. Interestingly the piano lick by Roy Bittan is borrowed from his own lick on the song Jungleland, of the 1975 Bruce Springsteen album Born to Run.

[Verse 1]
A love-struck Romeo sings a streetsuss serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, “You and me babe, how about it?”
Juliet says, “Hey, it’s Romeo
You nearly gave me a heart attack”
He’s underneath the window
She’s singing, “Hey la, my boyfriend’s back
You shouldn’t come around here
Singing up to people like that
Anyway, what ya gonna do about it?”

[Chorus]
“Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, when you exploded into my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize
It was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?”

[Verse 2]
Come up on different streets
They both were streets of shame
Both dirty, both mean
Yes, and the dream was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you
And now your dream is real
How can you look at me
As I was just another one of your deals?
Well you can fall for chains of silver
You can fall for chains of gold
You can fall for pretty strangers
And the promises they hold
You promised me everything
You promised me thick and thin, yeah
Now you just say, “Oh Romeo, yeah
You know I used to have a scene with him”

[Chorus]
“Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I’ll love you ‘til I die
There’s a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realize
It was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?”

[Verse 3]
“I can’t do the talks like they talk on the TV
And I can’t do a love song like the way it’s meant to be
I can’t do everything, but I’d do anything for you
I can’t do anything except be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
All I do is keep the beat to bad company
And all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Juliet, I’d do the stars with you anytime”

[Chorus]

References:
1. Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits song) – Wikipedia

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Straight to You (1992) – Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

Posted on November 22, 2024 by observationblogger — 11 Comments

Straight to You is the second song to appear here from Nick Cave in the last week. It is my favourite song from his seventh studio album Henry’s Dream and one of the first Bad Seeds tunes that really caught my attention. This tragic-romance has an apocalyptic atmosphere and biblical undertones. It is one of his most anthemic pieces along with his masterpiece The Ship Song from his previous album – The Good Son.
Straight to You unfolds against a backdrop of looming catastrophe – be it spiritual, or global. It was when Cave was going through a Gothic folk and romantic balladry career phase. The lyrics describe a love so consuming that it drives the narrator to defy impending disaster, traversing chaos and destruction to reunite with the beloved. Straight to You seems one of his most accessible and deeply emotional tracks.

Straight to You was released as a single in 1992 (see image inset) and charted at no. 68 in the UK and No 7 in the UK indie chart and no. 96 in Australia. According to Wikipedia it gained both contemporary and retrospective critical acclaim. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds promoted the album Henry’s Dream with an initial tour across Europe, North America, Japan and Australia in 1992; a tour consisted of five legs and fifty-five concerts.

[Verse 1]
All the towers of ivory are crumbling
And the swallows have sharpened their beaks
This is the time of our great undoing
This is the time that I’ll come running

[Chorus 1]
Straight to you, for I am captured
Straight to you, for I am captured
One more time

[Verse 2]
Now the light in our window is fading
The candle gutters on the ledge
Well now, sorrow, it comes a-stealing
And I’ll cry, girl, but I’ll come a-running

[Verse 3]
Gone are the days of rainbows
And gone are the nights of swinging from the stars
For the sea will swallow up the mountains
And the sky will throw thunder-bolts and sparks

[Verse 4]
Now heaven has denied us its kingdom
And the saints, they’re all drunk, howling at the moon
And the chariots of angels are colliding
Well, I’ll run, babe, but I’ll come running

References:
1. Straight to You – Wikipedia
2. Henry’s Dream – Wikipedia

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Latin Grammy 2024 Special Edition – Nathy Peluso, The Big Winner of the Night

Posted on November 21, 2024 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

At the age of 16, she began to perform at hotels and restaurants in Torrevieja, mainly performing classic songs by Frank Sinatra or Nina Simone.

– Nasty Girl at Observation Blogger

On September 29 this year, I wrote an article about Nathy Peluso’s magnificent song Envidia (eng. Envious) and how she had been nominated for 3 Latin Grammy awards for the following: Best Rap/Hip Hop Song with Aprender a Amar, Best Alternative Song with El Día Que Perdí Mi Juventud and Best Long Form Music Video – Grasa. I described how much heat I received in individual circles when I started circulating her music in particular her rap songs Nasty Girl and Sana Sana.

On Thursday, November 14, 2024, the 25th edition of the Latin Grammys were presented in Miami to recognise the work achieved in the Latin music industry. Well, low and behold Nathy Peluso took home all 3 statuettes in which she was nominated. “Art is about that, about putting your heart into it, putting your faith into it and giving yourself,” she said in her first appearance on stage. Excuse my obtuseness, but do I feel vindicated (not the least of all her)? – Yes, too right I (we) do!

Those who have followed underground Spanish music like ‘yours truly’ have known the name Nathy Peluso for quite a while as my previous articles demonstrate. In 2020 the Argentine-Spanish artist came to the attention of a broader audience. That year, the rapper and singer released her official debut album Calambre, which won a Latin Grammy for Best Alternative Album and received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album in 2021. Both visually and aurally, Nathy Peluso is part cinematic diva and part underworld kingpin. Her tough, independent persona was on full display on her now-multimillion streamed 2020 sessions as I aforementioned.

I’ll continue to follow Nathy Peluso’s development as an artist with much attentiveness as I do all my favourite singer-songwriters. I have especially admired watching how she has transfigured her artistry and changed the music landscape as we speak with such brashness and authenticity.

‘Nathy Peluso is a genuine Latin Pop polymath in the modern Latina music world; a sort of Jekyll and Hyde figure battling between herself and her bold pop star persona. She opens her latest album Grasa (Eng: Fat) with a lyric suggesting her ambition is killing her, but the scope and execution of the whole album suggest an artist who is very much alive.‘

Watch below Nathy Peluso getting her ‘look’ prepared for the 2024 Grammys. You could do worse. They got this right.

References:
1. Latin Grammy 2024: Nathy Peluso, la gran ganadora de la noche – Indie Club
2. Nathy Peluso Is ‘Grasa’: How Hard-Earned Lessons, The Mafia & A Lost Album Led To Her Most Vulnerable Work – Grammy Awards

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Step Right Up (1976) – Tom Waits

Posted on November 20, 2024 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

Tom Waits assumes the voice of a carnival barker in this polemic about advertising and commercialism. “Step right up” is a phrase these hucksters would often use to lure crowds into attractions, promising a life-altering viewing that would inevitably disappoint. Most of us learn early that what’s promised never lives up to the hype, but some people just keep handing over their money, hoping the Fiji Mermaid will be a glorious creature, only to find it’s a stuffed monkey with a fishtail sewed on.

– Step Right Up – Songfacts

Step Right Up is a clever novelty song that Tom released during his beatnik phase. Through the improvisational nature of the lyrics, the song showcases Waits’ unique delivery and sense of humor. You could perform it at a comedy festival and it would fit right in.
Step Right Up is the second song to appear here from his 1976 album Small Change after his previous entry Pasties and a G-String (At The Two O’Clock Club). That song also has a lyrical style that owed influence to Charles Bukowski as well as a vocal delivery influenced by Louis Armstrong, Dr. John and Howlin’ Wolf.

The following was extracted from the Wikipedia reference below:
Small Change received critical reviews equal to or better than Waits’ previous three albums, and was at first a surprise commercial success, rising to No 89 on the Billboard chart.

When asked in an interview with Mojo in 1999 if he shared many fans’ view that Small Change was the crowning moment of his “beatnik-glory-meets-Hollywood-noir period” (i.e. from 1973 to 1980), Waits replied:

Well, gee. I’d say there’s probably more songs off that record that I continued to play on the road, and that endured. Some songs you may write and record but you never sing them again. Others you sing em every night and try and figure out what they mean. “Tom Traubert’s Blues” was certainly one of those songs I continued to sing, and in fact, close my show with

In 1995 a tribute album to Tom Waits was released called Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits. The songs are performed by various artists.

Step right up, step right up, step right up
Everyone’s a winner, bargains galore
That’s right, you too can be the proud owner
Of the quality goes in before the name goes on
One-tenth of a dollar, one-tenth of a dollar
We got service after sales
How about perfume? We got perfume
How about an engagement ring?
Something for the little lady
Something for the little lady
Something for the little lady hmm
Three for a dollar
We got a year-end clearance, we got our white sale
And smoke-damaged furniture, you can drive it away today
Act now, act now, and receive as our gift, our gift to you
They come in all colors, one size fits all
No muss, no fuss, no spills, you’re tired of kitchen drudgery
Everything must go
Going out of business, going out of business, going out of business sale
Fifty percent off original retail price
Skip the middle man
Don’t settle for less
How do we do it? How do we do it?
Volume, volume, turn up the volume
Now you’ve heard it advertised, don’t hesitate
Don’t be caught with your drawers down
Don’t be caught with your drawers down
You can step right up, step right up
That’s right, it filets, it chops, it dices, slices
Never stops, lasts a lifetime, mows your lawn
And it mows your lawn and it picks up the kids from school
It gets rid of unwanted facial hair
It gets rid of embarrassing age spots
It delivers a pizza and it lengthens and it strengthens
And it finds that slipper that’s been at large
Under the chaise lounge for several weeks
And it plays a mean Rhythm Master
It makes excuses for unwanted lipstick on your collar
And it’s only a dollar, step right up
It’s only a dollar, step right up
And its forging your signature
If not completely satisfied, mail back unused portion of product
For complete refund of price of purchase
Step right up
Please allow thirty days for delivery
Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations
You can live in it, live in it, laugh in it, love in it
Swim in it, sleep in it, live in it, swim in it, laugh in it, love in it
Removes embarrassing stains from contour sheets, that’s right
And it entertains visiting relatives
It turns a sandwich into a banquet
Tired of being the life of the party?
Change your shorts, change your life, change your life
Change into a nine-year-old Hindu boy
Get rid of your wife and it walks your dog
And it doubles on sax, doubles on sax
You can jump back, Jack
See you later, alligator, see you later, alligator
And it steals your car
It gets rid of your gambling debts. it quits smoking
It’s a friend and it’s a companion
And it’s the only product you will ever need
Follow these easy assembly instructions, it never needs ironing
Well it takes weights off hips, bust thighs, chin, midriff
Gives you dandruff and it finds you a job, it is a job
And it strips the phone company, free, take ten for five exchange
And it gives you denture breath
And you know it’s a friend and it’s a companion
And it gets rid of your traveler’s checks
It’s new, it’s improved, it’s old-fashioned
Well it takes care of business
Never needs winding, never needs winding, never needs winding
Gets rid of blackheads, the heartbreak of psoriasis
Christ you don’t know the meaning of heartbreak, buddy
C’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon
‘Cause it’s effective, it’s defective, it creates household odors
It disinfects, it sanitizes for your protection
It gives you an erection, it wins the election
Why put up with painful corns any longer?
It’s a redeemable coupon, no obligation
No salesman will visit your home
We got a jackpot jackpot jackpot
Prizes prizes prizes, all work guaranteed
How do we do it? How do we do it?
How do we do it? How do we do it?
We need your business
We’re going out of business
We’ll give you the business
Get on the business end of our going-out-of-business sale
Receive our free brochure, free brochure
Read the easy-to-follow assembly instructions
Batteries not included
Send before midnight tomorrow, terms available
Step right up, step right up, step right up
You got it, buddy, the large print giveth and the small print taketh away
Step right up, you can step right up
You can step right up, c’mon step right up
Get away from me, kid, you bother me
Step right up, step right up, step right up
C’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon
Step right up, you can step right up
C’mon and step right up
C’mon and step right up

In 1988, Frito-Lay hired a Tom Waits imitator named Stephen Carter to voice a radio commercial for SalsaRio Doritos in the style of this song. Waits was furious when he heard it. The commercial really did sound like him and gave the impression that he endorsed it, which would be a complete reversal of what he stands for and espouses in “Step Right Up.” He filed suit for false endorsement and misappropriation, and won a $2.6 million judgment. Frito-Lay appealed, but in 1992 the verdict was upheld. Carter, the man who impersonated Waits in the commercial, testified on Tom’s behalf.

– Step Right Up – Songfacts

References:
1. Small Change (Tom Waits album) – Wikipedia
2. Step Right Up – Songfacts

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Irish Heartbeat (Van Morrison song) 1994 – Billy Connolly

Posted on November 19, 2024 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

I remember in my young adulthood enthralled watching Billy Connolly’s World Tour of Scotland over and over again. My family ancestry partly originates from Scotland, so I have always had a penchant for anything Scottish especially Amy Macdonald’s rendition of Flower of Scotland. The World Tour of Scotland (image inset) is a six-part television series – the first of Scottish comedian Billy Connolly’s “world tours” – originally broadcast by the BBC in 1994.

The closing titles features an excerpt of Connolly’s performing his cover of Van Morrison’s Irish Heartbeat, live at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, over landscape views of the areas visited in the respective episodes. It would always give me goosebumps and it still does. Billy does this just so well and with such feeling. Oh – and when the bagpipes start from the College of Piping pipe band. Of course Billy Connolly is renowned more as a comedian than a singer – musician, but he shines here and you can tell he has musical history. I wrote recently in the article on Gerry Rafferty song Shipyard Town that he became a member of a folk-pop group, the Humblebums, along with comedian Billy Connolly.

I don’t think you can achieve a song more attuned to the heritage of Scotland if you tried, yet it’s called ‘Irish Heartbeat’ by the great Van.

[Verse 1]
Oh won’t you stay
Stay awhile with your own ones
Don’t ever stray
Stray so far from your own ones
For the world is so cold
Don’t care nothing for your soul
You share with your own ones

[Verse 2]
Don’t rush away
Rush away from your own ones
One more day
One more day with your own ones
Yes the world is so cold
Don’t care nothing for your soul
You share with your own ones

[Bridge]
There’s a stranger and he’s standing at your door
Might be your best friend, might be your brother
You may never know

[Verse 3]
I’m going back
Going back to my own ones
Back to talk
Talk awhile with my own ones
This old world is so cold
Don’t care nothing for your soul
You share with your own ones

The following was extracted from the second Wikipedia reference below:

Irish Heartbeat is a popular song that was first recorded on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison’s 1983 album Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. A remake with the Chieftains was also included on Morrison’s 1988 album, Irish Heartbeat. 

References:
1. World Tour of Scotland – Wikipedia
2. Irish Heartbeat (song) – Wikipedia

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Posted in Music

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