Song of the Day Jun 13-20

JUN 12th 2022

A little history of this song… Spin by Lifehouse

Led by singer/songwriter Jason Wade, Lifehouse emerged in the early 2000s with a commercial blend of pop/rock melody and throaty, post-grunge vocals. Today's Song of the Day 'Spin' comes from the band's second album released in 2002 titled "Stanley Climbfall". And, although the record has a catchy pop hook to it, after the album was released it failed to match the sales of its predecessor and the Lifehouse original members splintered soon thereafter. After re-tooling the line-up for the next album, Wade & Lifehouse came out with a self-titled third album that had significantly better sales. So much so that the album went Gold thanks to a trio of Top 40 singles: 'First Time' 'You and Me' and 'Whatever It Takes .' With a hit album in their back pocket, new band members, and a more sellable sound, Lifehouse was then showcased on the locally produced and nationally seen PBS 'Soundstage'. (Here is a link to the entire Soundstage performance). The show received great reviews and Lifehouse has been a staple on the Indie Rock scene ever since. While 'Spin' may not be their biggest hit, it certainly is one of my favorites. One that features Wade singing at his best while the rest of the band plays at its' musical peak with heart thumping guitars and drums to match.

Enjoy!

JUN 14th 2022

A little history of this song… Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters

Until the untimely suicide of of Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl had been the drummer for the super-group Nirvana. After Cobain's death Grohl was looking to form another band as a means of coping with Cobain's death. In his youth he had learned to play various instruments, and with the various musicians whom he known from those days and different musicians he met through his Nirvana. days, he formed the first version of Foo Fighters. He not only penned the band's first album "Foo Fighters" but played nearly every instrument on the album. The album was a successful debut album for the band, but bigger things were yet to come. The Band's third album released in 1999 titled "There is Nothing Left To Lose" provides the backdrop for today's Song of the Day 'Learn to Fly'.The meaning behind the song is actually kinda funny. Sometimes we think that there is this deep introspective soulful feeling that the author has a yearning to express in a lyrical verse. In this case, the meaning of the song is exactly as it appears on paper, no cryptic hidden meanings whatsoever... simply put, Dave Grohl just wanted learn how to fly an airplane, as he explains in this interview. It's pretty very humorous actually, well worth the 3 minutes to watch it. And, because he wanted to learn to fly, the song he wrote has had over 350 million hits on Spotify. Adding to all his success in Foo Fighters is the fact that there probably isn't a nicer guy in Rock today than Dave Grohl .

Enjoy!

JUN 16th 2022

A little history of this song… Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt was raised in Los Angeles in a climate of respect for the arts, Quaker traditions, and a commitment to social activism. A Stella guitar given to her as a Christmas present launched Raitt on her creative journey at the age of 12. After picking up the guitar and learning to play it, Raitt felt an immediate affinity for the blues, and although she went off to attend Radcliffe in 1967, within two years she had dropped out to begin playing the Boston folk and blues club circuit.

In her 20's & 30's she had become a hardworking road warrior and an unexpected star. She had developed a distinctly soulful hybrid of blues, rock, and R&B, a sound that carried her through her long, varied career. Added to that, Bonnie was also considered one of the world's greatest slide guitarists. However things began to change as she was approaching 40. Bonnie wrote 'Nick of Time' as a reflection on love and aging after enduring a personal and professional slump. The decade prior had been a tumultuous one: She was dropped from her record label, shattered by a failed romance, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. She decided it was time to turn her life around and got clean and sober. So, in 1989, Bonnie's breakout year, she hired noted producer Don Was to produce her next album "In the Nick of Time". That effort earned her 3 Grammy Awards. In 2003, the album was ranked number #229 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. She followed up 2 years later with "Luck of the Draw" Todays' Song of the Day 'Nick of Time' comes from that 1989 multi-platinum album of the same name and the story behind it ...... and in her own words, she saved her life "in the nick of time"

Enjoy!

JUN 18th 2022

A little history of this song… Samba Pa Ti by Santana

Today's Song of the Day, 'Samba Pa Ti' comes from the 1970 album "Abraxas" by Santana. The English translation of Samba Pa Ti is ....A Samba for You. " I was going to call it "For Every Step, Freedom from Within" but CHEPITO was the one who came up with the name on the spot: " Eh, Carlos-Call it 'Samba Pa Ti". Interestingly, Abraxas was released in 1970 yet Samba Pa Ti was released as a single in 1973. The song is a beautiful guitar instrumental written while Carlos was living in New York City in the early 70's. Carlos' remembrance is 'Samba Pa Ti' was conceived in New York City on a Sunday afternoon,"..."I opened the window I saw this man in the street, he was drunk and he had a saxophone and a bottle of booze in his back pocket. And I kept looking at him because he kept struggling with himself. He couldn’t make up his mind which one to put in his mouth first, the saxophone or the bottle and I immediately heard a song"..."I wrote the whole thing right there""

Of the song he told Mojo magazine in 2008 " that he felt that this was his first recording when he was truly able to express himself. He explained: "I remember being alone one evening; until then, when I heard my records it was like seeing myself in the mirror and there was no me there, only a lot of other guitarists' faces: B.B., George Benson, Peter Green. That evening I heard 'Samba Pa Ti' on the radio and I looked in the mirror and it was my face, my tone, my fingerprints, my identity, my uniqueness. Because when I recorded it I was thinking of nothing, it was just pure feeling. I have a suspicion it came from stuff bottled up inside me, that I didn't know how to express or articulate. I get angry because, 'Why can't I say what I really mean?' Then 'Samba Pa Ti' comes out of me. And everybody understands it." Along with the instrumental 'Europa' , these 2 Santana songs are my favorites.

Enjoy !