I'm going to so surprise you with one of my favourite Christmas songs. It's only the Hawaiian Christmas song 'Mele Kalikimaka'. I love this song, it just makes me smile and I think it helps with all the dull winter weather by bringing a little bit of sunshine to my Christmas.
It has been covered by so many people but I prefer the Bing Crosby version. This is where I may divide my parents as it features the Andrews Sisters who my mum doesn't care for too much but it has that Hawaiian sound which my dad would be so proud of me for liking. He was a big fan of the odd Hawaiian tune as we were growing up before progressing onto to Herb Albert and Tijuana Brass, ask my brothers they will pull the same face as I am now thinking about it.....probably a good thing I'm not on You Tube right now. When you need break from the ordinary and don't get me wrong I love the traditional songs but I like a break so I'm escaping to the sunshine. It must be so lovely to spend Christmas in Hawaii and to be fair if I do go I know how to say Merry Christmas in Hawaii. I'm off to make a grass skirt and ditch the snow. Cocktails all round. Oh ya can't beat a bit of Bing Crosby at Christmas. So hey have a very Mele Kalikimaka and a happy new year, not sure how to say that yet. Bing really needed to make a sequel to this song didn't he? Maybe they don't care too much for new year and Christmas just goes on and on, maybe I need to go and find out. Oh stop dreaming Sue from the Brew and get back to worrying about whether Chris Rea is actually ever going to make it home for Christmas. It's been years and I say give us three rings when you get home Chris but no not heard anything yet. Got to love a trier, he's probably still going round the M25. I've been married had two kids and been separated in the time it's taking him to drive home. Poor lad. Let me know what your favourite Christmas song is, bet it's not from Hawaii....oh no but I'd be interested to know. I will be back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now you take care.
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My son wants a piano. I don't know who to blame, Elton for his Christmas advert or Freddie Mercury and Queen. It did start initially with the first viewing of Bohemian Rhapsody and he is learning Bo Rap on his keyboard. Yes he had a keyboard a few years ago and didn't play it for ages until just recently. We went to see Bohemian Rhapsody again and yes the love is definitely there for the keys.
I have listened and he sounds pretty good so far and the inspiration is spreading to songs like 'Let It Be' by The Beatles so I'm thinking this may be getting serious. Of course Elton goes and confirms the power of the piano along with John Lewis (bet they sell pianos) and stating that some gifts are more than a gift so what if there was no piano and no Elton.....woah! I asked Son from the Brew what was the difference though, he had a keyboard that was enough but he came back with of its the pressure and the depth of the sound, it's just so different. OMG he's even starting to sound like Elton and Freddie. The jury stays out for now I mean I may be denying the next rocket man but hey can he not write that on a good old Yamaha? He has started reading music which I'll give him full marks for, he said it's like learning another language, which it is, I've done it myself. I secretly wouldn't mind to learn myself, blimey we could end up reciting a rendition of chopsticks (classic piano tune), that could be worth a watch. I'll have a think for a bit longer and just keep an eye out on the auction sites of the UK for a bargain but for now he can carry on as he is. The keyboard fits in his bedroom easy, if we had a piano I would have to forfeit my dining room table. I can see us all eating our dinner on a piano, nobody eats at it now to be honest, it just gets the post and magazines stored on it. There's always room for a TV Times on the top of a piano though and the junk mail. Thanks Elton and John Lewis for the dilemma but thank you also for the music of Queen because if there is anything to come of all this then my son has learnt to love music, all their music still carries on through generations and that is a beautiful thing. Worth everything. Thanks for reading today, join me again tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now...... Take care. This is me all ready to go out and sing with Rock Choir this weekend. We performed a flash mob in the centre of Derby at the Market Place and then we walked up the road to Derby Cathedral and sang outside there too.
It was a bit cold but what you can't see in this picture is the layers underneath my jacket. You have to go prepared for all weathers when you're a Rockie especially with the outdoor performances We certainly Don't Stop Believin' and Can't Stop The Feeling of wanting to sing.....ha ha see what I did there? We did actually sing Can't Stop The Feeling, yes it's a new one but we managed to get all those lyrics wrapped around our tongues and I think they came out in the right order and sounded ok. Funnily enough I worried about that song the most as it has so many lyrics to remember but it was actually All I Want For Christmas that was the one I felt a bit stuck with. When I'm having my moment with Mariah in the kitchen while listening on the radio I could just fuddle through but now I've got to really remember if I want snow or not and whether I've sent my list to the North Pole for St Nick......oh heck. I sing bass in choir so at least I don't have to go full on Mariah, I can stay low....phew. My hat goes off to the sopranos on some of the songs we sing, I would need lemon and honey on a constant drip to prevent with my vocal pipes from bursting. Not only did we do those two performances on Saturday but we were back in Derby at Markeaton Craft Village for more on the Sunday. It didn't seem so cold on this day and the rain stayed away which was nice. In fact the sun shone quite a bit and I truly believe that may have been due to us, ya welcome Derby folk! A lovely lunchtime singing session and I really enjoyed it. There is something about singing Christmas songs, I feel I may be getting into the mood now. It always takes me a while. So what did we sing over the weekend, well I'll tell you...... First Noel/Silent Night Merry Christmas Everyone Hallelujah Footloose Can't Stop The Feeling and.... All I Want For Christmas Great eh? I do smile when singing Silent Night as I have to remember not to sing sleep in heavenly peas instead of peace, I mean I've never heard of heavenly peas and definitely never thought of the garden variety being particularly heavenly but hey it makes me smile. I also have to smile at Jennie our choir leader who does everything to mouth and mime the lyrics to us so we remember. You would never beat this girl at a game of charades let me tell you. I bet she suggests a game at Christmas and everyone goes 'nooooooo' ya too good, not a chance........oh go on then......it's a film, one word.........two syllables........FOOTLOOSE!!! There is one thing for sure Rock Choir is so much fun so keep an eye out around your area for your local choir and go and support them if you can. You may be shopping and not notice them if they are in flash mob disguise so be aware.........there may just be a Rock Choir singing somewhere. Thanks for reading today, please come back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now you take care. Now and again there is a song or piece of music that makes you smile, feel good or give you goosebumps when just hearing the first few seconds of it. I heard this song on an recent episode of The Good Doctor. I hadn't heard it for a while and it just made me feel so happy.
It is 'This is the Day' by The The which is just a classic song from the early 80's. It was actually released in 1983 but I don't think I discovered this band until around 1986. I used to listen to a lot of their material but this always remains my favourite. I would even put it up there in my top ten favs of all time. Some say its a bit of of a melancholy song about missed opportunities and maybe a person's life wasted but when looking at the lyrics I see it as looking at someone who is fed up with their life and wants to change it. The only way to change things is by getting on and doing it in life, only we can change it. 'This is the day our life, your life will surely change' 'This is the day, when things fall into place' I find it quite optimistic, when I listen to it I think positively, so for me it's my anthem to pull my socks up and get on with stuff and feel good about it. I don't know what it is, and maybe there is a song which effects you in the same way but I smile every time I hear it. It may be the slow intro which just sounds nice. I love everything, Matt Johnson's voice, his lyrics have always been memorable. There is another of his songs called 'Uncertain Smile' which has the line........ 'Uncertain emotions force an uncertain smile' which they do don't they? If you are not familiar with The The then take a look on You Tube or grab a listen on iTunes. They are still around today, gosh I sound so ancient and worst of all I'm making these guys ancient too. I say band and guys, Matt Johnson was the main original member of The The but collaborated with some big names such as Jools Holland, Johnny Marr, Marc Almond, Neneh Cherry, Sinead O' Connor, Lloyd Cole and many more. So that's one of my favourite tunes......I'm sure I'll mention a few more but for now thank you for allowing me to share this one with you. I will be back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but you all take care. I can't believe we are coming to the end of another term with Rock Choir and another year. We finish with a lovely tingly twinkly song for Christmas which is Freiheit's 'Keeping the Dream Alive'.
I love this song and although it does fit with Christmas nicely it isn't actually a Christmas song. There are a few songs that don't actually relate to Christmas but have fell onto the regular albums or radio playlists every yuletide. Stay Another Day by East 17 is another one of these songs, although released in November 1994 it wasn't actually about Christmas. Nice bells included on the song and a lovely snowy video helped it appeal to the seasonal market. It stuck as a Christmas song because it did end up as 1994's Christmas number one single. Freiheit's (real name Münchener Freiheit) one hit wonder here in the UK only hit number 14 in 1988 which I'm surprised about really, I remember it being quite popular at the time. Today though it still manages to make it on the radio every year and is included on many a Christmas compilation album. It is slightly underrated though as quite a few people hadn't heard of it at Rock Choir. I'm a 80's music nut though so it was instantly recognisable to me. It is lovely to sing so far, the harmonies are going to sound so beautiful and I'm looking forward to taking part in the forthcoming performances singing this song. I think it's one of those comforting songs, the kind you can pop you're feet up with your brew inside while it's snowing outside and feel the love. Oooooo nice. So our penultimate week this week, I will be ready to start again in the new year, but like I say we have some performances to do before Christmas so that will keep us going for a while yet. Don't forget if you would also like to try Rock Choir you can come along for a free taster session. The new year is a great time to take the plunge, a new years resolution maybe? Go on give it a go. If you always dreamed of singing but have been a apprehensive of trying then this is perfect. You don't have to audition, just come along and everyone will make you feel so welcome. Just go to www.rockchoir.com find your local session and away you go......we may even bump into each other during a big national event somewhere! For now though you all take care and I will be back for more chit chat tomorrow with Teapot Tuesday. Bye for now....... There is something about strings used on a track, they just project such emotion that I have been known to shed a little tear or go for a complete emotional outburst which I did on Sunday.
I heard this piece of music on the radio just before the two minutes silence at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday. I had heard it before somewhere but couldn't think where, it was probably because Radio 2 were renown for playing this music at this time every year so that's why it may have seemed familiar. It makes me fill up with emotion and is just the perfect piece for this occasion. So later in the day I had to get on the mission to find out what this music was called. I thought, well how the heck to I find it now it's only in my head. Well after searching on the internet I found out that you can actually go onto the Radio 2 website and track down songs that were played that day. In my case I needed Steve Wright's Love Songs programme and then you can search by the hour so I knew it was on at 10.55am and as sure as anything there it was. How clever is that? I did not know that this was available. Usually I get to my digital radio and see the track displayed on it so this is a great facility if you didn't get there in time or a song is still in your head for hours afterwards. So what piece of music was causing all this fuss? Well it was Adagio for Strings, Op.11 and I later remembered it was also used in the film Platoon and it has been also used on many public occasions usually during times of mourning. An amazing piece filled with so much emotion, a sad piece of music some may say but for me it was the perfect piece to remember and reflect and that's what I did with my tears flowing. The thing was that I didn't have to search for this at all as it was there, already in my playlist of classical tunes tucked away in my itunes, silly me. I have that much music on there it's easy to forget, some I need never be reminded of again but hey that's music. Music does that though it reminds us of good times, slightly tipsy times, times of great sadness and pain but also times of joy. Music enables us to express our feelings either through singing, dancing, laughing and crying so embrace all those genres. Try listening to something you wouldn't normally listen to....go on find your inner cowgirl/boy, belt out a bit of opera, have a good cry.....whatever, just use the power of music, it will get you through anything. Thanks for reading, join me again tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now....... Take care. I'm not sure when the right time is to start Christmas, it seems to get earlier every year. We have our Christmas week at Rock Choir tomorrow where we learn our Christmas song and dress up if we feel the urge. It still feels very early though yet.
I think it is something like seven weeks until the big day which isn't long. The Christmas adverts have begun to air on the tv and I have known people to start their Christmas shopping but for me I need to start at least a month before or not until December starts. The reason for being early Christmas birds at Rock Choir is that we need to get our song learnt for some performances coming up so we need to be all polished and ready to wow the Christmas crowds when it does get nearer. Our new song is 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' so I'm just trying to picture myself in diva mode tomorrow but dressed as an Elf. I suppose it's along way off Mariah Carey's sexy Santa suit but hey I am doing my best. We ran through some old Christmas songs last week and the enthusiasm, well it wasn't there to be honest. I'm still pining for the summer, I want a iced cold cocktail not a hot chocolate or a large gingerbread latter from Costa in a Santa cup (yep they have started). It did feel a bit strange. I will enter into he spirit and maybe it will jog my inner Rudolph or I will suddenly feel like Santa's little helper.....ting! I will be Christmassy. I just don't want to burn myself out and be totally bored of it by the time it comes around to the 25th. I'll be ready to take my tree down by Boxing Day. Oh bah humbug eh? Let's all be a bit 'Jenny', thats our choir leader, she would do Christmas all year round if she could. She will have her costume on and be ready to party so that's what I'll do too. Merry Christmas Everyone........oops that's take it steady, some people really are not ready. If you are, pop those tunes on and sing loud and proud. I often think it must be great to own the rights to a Christmas tune. Every year you would just rub your hands and watch the royalties flood in, a good annual income I suppose......I might grab my pen and write a classic, feel they may have all been written though. Off I go, wish me luck......you come back tomorrow though as I will have a post for Teapot Tuesday, for now though take care. Oh I love Boy George and it was great to hear him on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show last Friday. If you didn't hear it go and have a catch up on the BBC radio iplayer if you have a moment because it was really good. Never did I think the combination of guests like Craig Revel Horwood, Katherine Jenkins, George himself and Seasick Steve would be so entertaining but blimey they were.
There was so much appreciation between all these massive personalities and artists from such different musical genres. I just loved that Seasick Steve wanted to go and see Boy George live and vice versa, what a collaboration that would be if they got together, can you imagine. Fabulous! The love and respect just seemed to ooze from my radio and really made me feel good for the rest of the day. George was so funny, I could listen to him forever and when Chris asked if he could just play a snippet of his song Victims it just stirred up so many memories. I think that song is just one of the best songs ever. Released in 1983 it's so timeless and still sounds amazing now as it did back then. I was a thirteen year old teenager and loved the music through the 80's, it got me through my adolescence and bands like Culture Club were so iconic. Victims just bursts out with passion with those lyrics and the strings just make it all sound so dramatic.....I love it when you can just get so many feelings from listening to a song. Those songs stand out as true classics and this one would be there in my dessert island discs if I was ever to choose mine. Boy George and Culture Club are still brilliant today and they have just released a new album called 'Life' which is also really good. I have a bit of a fascination for lyrics at the moment and I am drawn to George's writing as he tends to write about his life experiences, so I suppose the album title is very apt. A great combination of songs here including the single 'Let Somebody Love You'. This has reggae feel which lifts it and kind of makes you want to let love in, yes even me.....wow. I do love a bit of reggae though, it makes one feel very chilled want to love everyone. So go and have a listen to the new and the old music by Boy George and Culture Club and go and see them on their forthcoming tour too. I'm not sure whether they are sick of playing the oldies but hope not as we all love em' don't we? Yes we do, go on admit it!! Great bloke, great sense of humour, inspirational songs and just generally a nice chap.....thanks for the music George! Thank you too for reading today, please join me again tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now........ Take care. Come on I know.....I've seen you! You are driving along and a classic song suddenly lets rip through your speakers and you become a musical diva, singing it out loud and very proud.
We should all do it but do you get a bit worried if someone clocks you mid 'I Will Survive?' I mean lets hope you're not in full blown 'dumped' mode with panda mascara eyes and a death wish on the ex. I prefer Bohemian Rhapsody myself, it's the only chance I get to sing in so many vocal ranges at the same time pretending to be the best operatic star ever!! Talk about drama, that song just has it all. This is all ok if you have someone with you in the car as you can laugh it off together but alone.....well that's when you get the person next to you suggesting you make your way to the nearest psychiatrist for an emergency appointment. I tend to be a back country lane diva on my own, somewhere in the countryside where no one can see me, I don't feel ready for the rush hour spotlight yet. I tend to get caught laughing in my car, not randomly but I listen to the radio a lot and if something makes me giggle well I've gone. I only hope that the person in the next car has the same radio station on with the same sense of humour but no it doesn't always happen. The thing to do though if you do find yourself in this situation is just laugh, make out your saying goodbye to someone on your hands free and go to switch the pretend call off. There you go not mad at all now, just a nice imaginary phone call. The other thing about being a car disco diva is singing along to someone else's music in their car. You know in summer when the windows are down and you get stuck in traffic? Now some people play some real rubbish but now again you hear a classic and just can't help singing along. It feels like butting in to someone else's conversation but you could always acknowledge that you love their tunes and make friends......better than road rage, lets call it the road stage instead. Whatever you do just keep singing if you like to, as long as you’re safe and have your attention on your driving well who cares. If I see you singing in your car I'll salute you. Lets be happy and be the diva’s we deserve to be. At least you can get to where you are are going and announce........Thanks to Gloria Gaynor I have reached my destination and I have survived!! Thank you for reading today, join me again tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now you all take care and....... Keeeeeep singing. I didn't know whether to write this one under Music Monday or Autism Saturday but that picture is literally my brain trying to cope with some background music in public places.
At home I stick my headphones on and just take myself away from the busy'ness of the world and play what I like, my own little world....ahhhh lovely and if I have a brew as well, that's heaven. But what if you don't have any choice about the music being played? What if I'm in the supermarket trying to decide between a frittata and a piñata and end up being put off by a bit of Dancing Queen by Abba well then I may end up bashing a eggy omelette type thing hoping to get a prize when really I needed to buy a Piñata. I like the idea of spontaneously breaking out into a bit of the Macarena while pushing my trolley or have been known to sing my Rock Choir songs while making a purchasing from the deli at Tesco and that's ok. It's when it's noise in the background that suddenly takes over. I was having breakfast at The Hilton the other weekend darling......and I was tucking into my full English when I started to notice this yoga/mediation type music playing in the restaurant. It was subtle as it would be, never known yoga people to be rocking to Metallica but hey I now have that vision my head. I love a bit of calming music but it didn't go well with my breakfast, I wasn't sure whether to get into the crouching tiger pose (if there is one) or pop my poached eggs. After a while it was a bit annoying. The 'on hold' music while waiting in a phone queue can be amusing, again ok if it's a good tune but if it's Greensleeves played over and over and I'm 12th in the queue it's not going to be good by the time I get through, I'll either be classically hypnotised or I will get caught singing 'You're The One That I Want' to poor Daniel from Virgin Media. The shame!! There is good music and bad in the background, you can choose to block it out or dance and sing like no one is looking. Me? I'm going back to my headphones and my uncomplicated sanctuary. Thank you for reading today.....come back tomorrow for Teapot Tuesday but for now........take care. |
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