Bye Bye Blackbird - Sammy Davis Jr.

Bye Bye Blackbird - Sammy Davis Jr.

2:49

single, 1962

Written by Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon, 1926

Davis singing this one starting out quiet, a capella, with snapping fingers as an accompaniment.  Then, the band kicks in, and it swings, until it slows down again and fades out.  Things are bad for the narrator: "No one here can love and understand me / Ah, what hard luck stories they all hand me."  But he's going to a place where somebody waits for him: "make my bed and light the light."  The tempo change reflects the sad situation and the hopeful future,; but will the narrator make it?  It's ambiguous.  Thus the final slowdown.

The Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton

The Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton

2:31

single, 1959

Written by Jimmy Driftwood, 1936

A novelty country song that adapts a military march for its beat.  The writer, Jimmy Driftwood, was a school principal in Arkansas with a passion for history.  He set an account of the battle to an old fiddle tune in an attempt to get students interested in learning history.  Driftwood's version adds fun to the lesson, with his yodeling, nasal voice, the "hup-two-three" background voices, and his silly humor ("We fired our cannon 'til the barrel melted down / So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round / We filled his head with cannonballs 'n' powdered his behind / And when we touched the powder off, the gator lost his mind").  Historically accurate?  Citation needed.

Brand New Cadillac - Vince Taylor and His Playboys

Brand New Cadillac - Vince Taylor and His Playboys

2:37

single, 1959

Written by Vince Taylor

A genuine British garage rockabilly gem, this song is of course best known for being covered by the Clash.  I was interested to learn that two other bands also recorded it in 1964 (and put their names on it as authors, as was the style at the time).  But Taylor wrote it and was the first.  His slurred, surly vocal here is so proto-punk that it's no surprise that the Clash were attracted to this song.  The '50s surf-guitar solo is a perfect example of the rock riffs of the era.  It's amazing this wasn't a huge hit.

Bees Left the Trees - Sugar & the Hi Lows

Bees Left the Trees - Sugar & the Hi Lows

3:32

High Roller, 2015

Written by Amy Francis Stroup

A throwback-style band that should not be so obscure.  This song is a toe-tapping folk-rockabilly number that drops names of its influences: "I need some Jack some Johnny some Emmylou / And the ghost of the man in the blue suede shoes."  The narrator, with a mishmash of imagery, seems to be preaching pride in yourself as you are.  "Cause the wings get dirty / Don′t mean they don′t fly."  And "Cause the bees left the trees / Doesn′t mean there ain't honey inside."

Blue Moon - Dean Martin

Blue Moon - Dean Martin

3:04

Dream With Dean, 1964

Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, 1934

A laid-back, sleepy version of the classic.  This sounds like it was recorded in a nightclub right before closing, and everyone has gone home.  Very sparse instrumentation, with a sultry croon of a vocal.  By the middle of the voice Deano is almost talking, a rough whisper, not really singing.  Overall, I prefer the Marcels' doo-wop reworking, of course, but there's always room for a standard done well by a great talent.  

Can You Get To That - Funkadelic

Can You Get To That - Funkadelic

2:49

Maggot Brain, 1971

Written by George Clinton and Ernest Harris

I did know know that soul music harmonizing could also be funky!  And the lyrics break expectations or stereotypes about funk music: "I once had a life, or rather / Life had me."  Classic!  The narrator bemoans a love gone wrong, but with imagery rather than accusation.  "Checks you signed with love and kisses / Later come back signed insufficient funds."  Love the interplay between the various voices, alto rising high, then that super-deep bass coming in with "I wanna know."

Ça plane pour moi - Whyte Horses

Ça plane pour moi - Whyte Horses

3:29

Hard Times, 2020

Written by Lou Deprijck and Yvan Lacomblez

Whyte Horses is a shifting French-pop collective.  Here they romp through a fairly faithful, bright-yet-trashy rendition of the Plastic Bertrand song, with female vocal.  It's just as fun as the original, and I do like the song, but it's a pretty inessential track.  Maybe I just don't enough about this band to hear what they're adding to the song.

Can I Get a Witness - Marvin Gaye

Can I Get a Witness - Marvin Gaye

2:47

single, 1963

Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland

Addressing the "chicks" and "young girls" in the audience, the narrator pleads his case, preacher style: is it right to be left alone?  Is this the way love is supposed to be?  It's a pretty clever ploy, proclaiming that you're single and, oh yeah, just happen to mention that you know how to treat a woman right at the same time ("I'm going to stick by her till the bitter end").  Gaye lived his life between gospel and the secular world, but here he's pretty much a Sam Cooke lover, not a preacher.  It's got the same punchy energy as "Heat Wave."

Can the Can - Suzi Quatro

Can the Can - Suzi Quatro

3:34

Suzi Quatro, 1973

Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn

Once you get past the nonsensical title, this song features extended and wire-thin imagery in which your boyfriend is an eagle and some woman ("mama"?) is the tiger, and they fight?  Apparently the title phrase is meant to convey something impossible — you can't put a can inside a can, the same way you can't contain your man if he's out there prowling for other, uh, wild cats, I guess.  I remain dubious.  Lyrics aside, it's a decent by-the-numbers rocker, and Quatro has enough attitude to sell it.

Cause I Said So - The Godfathers

Cause I Said So - The Godfathers

2:47

Birth, School, Work, Death, 1988

Written by the Godfathers

Ramones-inspired British punk-rock band hits hard, but a little on the nose, with this brash, nihilistic "I won't do what you tell me" song.  The chorus is the title shouted several times, while the main lyrics are so dumb they're amusingly clever.  "Every day's a thrill when you're living like me / Don't read Baudelaire's poetry / And I don't need no Ph.D."  I mean, you have to give it to a band that proclaims they're anti-book learning, but still can toss out a reference to Baudelaire.