Kansas City Star - Roger Miller

Kansas City Star - Roger Miller

2:16

The 3rd Time Around, 1965

Written by Roger Miller

From the title, I thought this would be a song about a newspaper, but it's about a celebrity, a star!  Well, a local TV celebrity.  They treat him just fine in Kansas City, so he turns his nose up at offers from big city Omaha.  He's got it made in his hometown: "I got credit down at the grocery store / And my barber tells me jokes / I'm the number one attraction every supermarket parkin' lot / I'm the king of Kansas City, no thanks, Omaha, thanks a lot."  It's a very funny song, sung in a brisk, rollicking style, with even a little genuine yodeling thrown in.

Kissing At Midnight - Billy Boy Arnold

Kissing At Midnight - Billy Boy Arnold

2:23

single, 1957

Written by Billy Boy Arnold and Sylvester Thompson

This is a light blues shuffle with Arnold's harmonica punctuating the standard twelve-bar Chicago-style blues licks.  It's a fine song, although the groove is somewhat repetitive.  Arnold is known primarily as a harmonica player, and he's definitely very good, but not quite showcasing any virtuoso skills on this track.  It's a positive love song, the narrator recounting how good he feels talking to his love on the telephone, walking around with a smile on his face.