Thanks For the Pepperoni - George Harrison

Thanks For the Pepperoni - George Harrison

5:32

All Things Must Pass, 1970

Written by George Harrison

Even though I don't generally go in for rock instrumentals, and this one is five and a half minutes long, I just had to add it.  Since yesterday and the night before (get it?) showcased solo Beatles songs of gratitude, it seemed obligatory to include the quiet one today.  Anyway, I have long heard that this album is one of the best albums of the era, and never gotten into it beyond a few songs, so that's another reason.  George is trading guitar licks with Eric Clapton here, and the whole thing is based on "Roll Over Beethoven."  He released it as Apple Jam, an extra record of instrumentals, to help justify the high price of the triple album (fourteen dollars!).  The title supposedly comes from a Lenny Bruce comedy bit (but if that's true, why idn't the quote found anywhere on the Internet?). 

Thank God For Music - Ringo Starr

Thank God For Music - Ringo Starr

3:38

What's My Name, 2019

Written by Ringo Starr, Grant Michaels, and Sam Hollander

Yesterday was a McCartney track, so why can't it be Ringo's turn to shine?  This is just a positive pop groove.  It's definitely a Beatle's eye view of life.  "From the factory to a dream / From Liverpool to L.A / And all the world in between / So many sunny days."  Some might say it's a little bit too Polyanna in its rosy view, but I guess we can't be weeping about how terrible everything is all the time.  Not exactly an essential track, but you can roll your eyes at the corniness and tap along to it. 

Gratitude - Paul McCartney

Gratitude - Paul McCartney
3:18
Memory Almost Full, 2007
Written by Paul McCartney

This is McCartney's "divorce album."  On this track he played all the instruments.  It's a farewell song, a goodbye to his ex, but he doesn't sound bitter.  Quite the opposite.  "Well, I was lonely, I was living with a memory / But my cold and lonely nights ended when you sheltered me / Loved by you, I was loved by you."  There are parts of McCartney's vocal here that are reminiscent of "Oh! Darling."  I like how he goes from gentle to full-throated belting.

Thank You Love - Stevie Wonder

Thank You Love - Stevie Wonder

2:55

Down To Earth, 1966

Written by Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy, and Stevie Wonder

A paean to the narrator's love.  "Just like the sunshine makes the flower grow / That's just the way you change my whole life show."  Here Wonder is not fully formed into the multiple-masterpiece machine he would later become, but this is a solid, catchy Motown track.  His delivery is vibrant and confident, matching the driving horn lines and strong percussion.

Gratitude - Earth, Wind & Fire

Gratitude - Earth, Wind & Fire

3:27

Gratitude, 1975

Written by Philip Bailey, Maurice White, Larry Dunn, and Verdine White

The album this song comes from is a mostly live, double LP that spent three weeks on the Billboard charts and is triple platinum.  And here's me, a music guy, having never heard a note of it.  Truly, there are entire worlds we never know no matter how much we try to master a subject.  Anyhoo, this is a serious slice of funky soul, with some jazzy elements as well.  The lyrics are secondary, just evoking general gospel-like injunctions to be grateful.  "Open up your heart, let your body find / Freedom in your stride, love and peace of mind, yeah" is as specific as it gets.

Thank You - Dido

Thank You - Dido

3:37

Sliding Doors soundtrack, 1998

Written by Dido Armstrong and Paul Herman

A soft ballad over a steady percussion, some probably programmed.  In this song, the narrator is depressed over, possibly an absent love, but also just the trails of living ("I drank too much last night, got bills to pay / My head just feels in pain / I missed the bus and there'll be hell today").  But then she sees the picture of her inamorata, or gets a phone call, and "it's not so bad."  It's a tender sentiment, delivered with an etheral voice.

I Thank You - Sam And Dave

I Thank You - Sam And Dave

2:54

I Thank You, 1968

Written by Isaac Hayes David Porter

I'm quite familiar with the ZZ Top version of this song; if I heard the original before, it was long ago and I don't remember it.   This is pure soul Memphis groove: punchy horns, syncopated rhythms, and a vocal interplay that feels urgent, joyful, and distinctly communal rather than solitary or cool..  As Sam says in the intro, "And give me some of that old soul clapping." I like how Sam sings the first verse and Dave sings the second.  The gospel-infused call-and-response vocals make the contrast between Sam's smooth soul delivery and Dave's rawer, preacher-like intensity.   

Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Denver

Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Denver

3:13

Back Home Again, 1974

Written by John Martin Sommers

Guitar, banjo, fiddle, guitar in 2/2 time, like a country dance.  This is definitely old timey, bluegrass-folk country song.  Denver rattles out the lyrics in his high, nasal tenor in a rapid tempo, giving the song an overall cheerful feel.  The lyrics extol the narrator's hard-working, but simple and pleasant life, oppsong it in one verse to a hectic, sad city life. "When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low / I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow."  It's a toe-tapper!  Pass that jug, ma.

Thank You For the Music - ABBA

Thank You For the Music - ABBA

3:49

ABBA: The Album, 1977

Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

In this song, the narrator starts out, in a half-spoken style, deprecating herself ("I'm nothing special, in fact I'm a bit of a bore / If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before"), only to then go on and talk about how great she is at singing and how everyone enjoys that.  Who was it who figured out music captures people's hearts?  Whoever it was, she's a fan.  Well, it's nice to know your strengths.

Be Thankful for What You Got - William DeVaughn

Be Thankful for What You Got - William DeVaughn

3:26

Be Thankful for What You Got, 1974

Written by William DeVaughn

A classic soul bop in the style of What's Going On-era Marvin Gaye.   It's a straightforward message ong, with its falsetto addressed to the listener, saying that they don't need a car in order to feel gratitude.   "Remember, brothers and sisters / You can still stand tall."  Its groovy fadeout call, "Diamond in the back, sunroof top / Diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean," has been sampled by many a gangsta rapper.  The album version is actually seven and a half minutes long; I don't think we need that, but it is a terrific slice of '70s soul.