Mike Read, a veteran radio DJ and TV host in the UK, has a weekly “programme” called “The Heritage Chart Show.” Not living in the UK, I’ve only every seen clips of the show on YouTube, but basically, Read interviews bands from the ‘70s and ‘80s who are still making music today and plays their music videos. Here’s a clip with Limahl, the lead singer of Kajagoogoo (“Too Shy”) who also had a solo hit with “The NeverEnding Story.” (In case you ever wondered, “Limahl” is an anagram of Christopher Hamill’s original last name.)

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When I’m concentrating on a writing project, I like music with no lyrics or, at least, lyrics in a language I don’t speak. Amadou & Mariam are good for that. From Mali, they sing in French and Bambara. Since I don’t speak either, the music helps me find a flow, but the words don’t fight with my own thoughts.

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As a teenager, I wasn’t sure if I should listen to Lou Reed – or his band, The Velvet Underground. I wasn’t sure whether I could handle the drone of “Venus in Furs” or fuzzy, buzzy epic “Sister Ray.” Of course, the tunes that once intimidated me now seem almost quaint or folky in spots. They’re still songs about junkies and BDSM, but everything eventually becomes the music of your mom and dad’s generation.

Despite his rep, Lou Reed also made some very poppy music in his career. This is stuff that’s not going to show up on any of his greatest hits collections – and there are 17 of them according to Wikipedia. “The Original Wrapper” is off Reed’s 1986 album “Mistrial,” which I owned on cassette and most likely bought at the long-gone Streetside Records in Columbia, MO. I’m not sure if Lou is genuinely trying to musically stretch here or if he’s just half-heartedly jumping on the rap train – probably both. Continue reading

Wow, this “part two” took almost as long as “Mary Poppins Returns.” Back here, I started writing about the music of Paul Carrack, one of those singers who’s famous for not being more famous. He’s got a beautiful voice and still tours the UK, but doesn’t get the US name recognition of folks like Hall & Oates or Bill Withers.

After scoring radio hits as a member of Ace, Squeeze, and Mike + the Mechanics, Paul barely got into the Top 40 (#37) with a song recorded under his own name, 1982’s “I Need You.” Then, on the next album in 1987, the song “Don’t Shed a Tear” just exploded. It went to #9, stayed in the Top 40 for thirteen weeks, and got big play on MTV. It was co-written by Eddie Schwartz, who also wrote Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.” The 1987 production sound dates “Don’t Shed a Tear,” and Paul doesn’t look much like an MTV star in the video, but his voice makes the song into something special.

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Paul Carrack has a new album out, which makes me very happy. The record is called “One on One” and at 70, Paul will be touring from January 2022 into April – but so far, not in the USA.  Back home in England, Paul is known and loved for his soulful sound. The BBC even made a 2012 documentary about him called “The Man with the Golden Voice.” That he’s not well-known in America is even stranger when you realize you’ve heard Paul Carrack’s voice on American radio for decades. You just never suspected all those songs from different bands had the same guy on lead vocal. Let’s start with Carrack’s hit with the band Ace. In 1975, “How Long” went to #3 in America.

I’ve written before about my side gig as a weekend Smooth Jazz DJ. We played “How Long” all the time. No way is it jazz, but you can’t deny it’s smooth. After Ace, Carrack joined Squeeze for what is probably his best-known vocal. “Tempted” was written by Squeeze’s core duo, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, but mostly sung by the band’s new keyboardist. This isn’t the version of the video that was on MTV, but it’s the one that’s on YouTube, so here we go…

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