Silly Love Songs – Love definitely beats hate. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #PaulMcCartneyandWings

When an artist holds the record for the most #1 songs in the history of the U.S. record charts there is never a shortage of commentary related to their work, nor is there a shortage of cover songs. This combination also acts as a catalyst to a song being turned into a Ted Tocks Covers feature.

For Paul McCartney, the fact that according to Billboard, he holds the record for the most number one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 explains why approximately one in thirty Ted Tocks Covers features offers either a Beatles song or a Paul McCartney song. The chart dominance shared above speaks to twenty #1 Beatles songs and 9 #1 songs by any combination of Paul McCartney and Wings.

How lucky we all are to be a part of the ‘music-verse’ during the reign of Sir Paul.

Today’s feature is ‘Silly Love Songs’ which was Paul McCartney’s fifth #1 as a solo artist, which at the time set the standard. ‘Silly Love Songs began its five-week run at #1 on this day in 1976.

It became his biggest hit with Wings and the #1 song of 1976.

What’s wrong with that? I’d like to know.”

So here I go…

…Again.

‘Silly Love Songs’ is an out and out response to an open criticism of his work. When the critique comes from former song writing partner, John Lennon, the retort had to be emphatic. Famously, Lennon had taken a swipe at McCartney during their post Beatles war of words, by suggesting that McCartney’s contribution to The Beatles was simply writing a series of “silly love songs”. Here is a quote from Paul that addresses this misplaced notion.

There were accusations in the mid-1970s – including one from John, that I was just writing ‘silly love songs’. I suppose the idea was that I should be a bit tougher, a bit more worldly. But then I suddenly realised, that’s exactly what love is – it’s worldly. ‘Some people want to fill the world/With silly love songs’. I’d been given that reputation, and I had to stand up for it. Instead of abandoning songs about love, just get on with it, get into it and don’t be embarrassed, because even thought you might say this is a soppy subject, it’s actually the opposite: this thing people can feel for each other that makes life better. I think that’s the crux of it, and if you want to be cynical, it’s easy, you can. ‘Love doesn’t come in a minute/Sometimes it doesn’t come at all’. I think a lot of people who are cynical about love haven’t been lucky enough to feel it.”

For fans of the Beatles this may seem familiar because in the post Sgt. Pepper’s era, critics of The Beatles opined that McCartney was the author of too many soppy songs, and challenged him to write something with a little bit more meaning, substance and bite. Barely missing a beat Paul McCartney recalled a statement by Pete Townshend of The Who, who claimed that when he wrote ‘I Can See for Miles’ he was simply trying to make as much noise as possible. Setting the course for a similar project McCartney produced the raging track we all know as ‘Helter Skelter’ which some musicologists point to as a launching pad for heavy metal.

Thing that make you go, hmm!

But the thing is, there is good, then there is great, then you get legendary and somewhere at the top of the mountain you will find Paul McCartney. Early in his career he found comfort in writing about the dynamics of love, while employing clever wordplay and repetitive phrases. This Beatles formula was derived from a range of influences, but within a matter of two years the Lennon/McCartney song writing duo became restless and took things to a different level. When you are this good, the hits can come in any form. When talking about ‘Silly Love Songs’ it is easy to point to the love theme, but truth be told it really is all about the bass.

That is the bass in your face. And that was really just because we were making a dance record on purpose. I had been accused around that time of singing too much about love. I said, ‘Hey, wait a minute! It’s the best thing!’ Love definitely beats hate, and it’s definitely kind of cool, at least in my book. But it can be perceived as sort of soppy. So, I wrote this song, and asked, ‘What’s wrong with silly love songs?’ I wrote it out on holiday in Hawaii; I just had piano and chords, and I then wanted to have a melody on bass. We really pushed the bass and drums right out front. But it drove the song along quite nicely. Pushed it hard. We wanted to make something you could dance to, so you had to.”

As one listens to the bass line it becomes apparent that ‘Silly Love Songs’ is a cleverly disguised disco song. Well into his second decade of hit-making Paul McCartney illustrates his adaptability, which extends to his continued influence on some of his most recognized peers. Soon after Paul McCartney wrote ‘Silly Love Songs’, Mick Jagger followed with ‘Miss You’ and Rod Stewart captured audiences with ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’. From the forerunners of the ‘British Invasion’, the brief migration into disco was deemed acceptable by Sir Paul, and it sold because he managed to do it with a blend of styles and a dash of determination. He knew he had the makings of a hit song, but it had to be something people could identify with.

In January of 1976, reporter Barbara Charone was hanging out with Paul McCartney and Wings in Hawaii, and to our good fortune she was there to witness the song come together. Here is her account.

Gathered round a small cassette recorder, Paul and Linda McCartney intently listen to their at-home voices build each other. Occasionally tapping a foot to the lazy beat, Linda sways while lending additional harmonic support. Paul mentally rewrites the song, changing bits as the cassette gathers speed, visions of the final vinyl product dancing in his head…

As the basic rhythm track is still being perfected, Linda joins the rest of Wings upstairs in the control room, peering down from the glass partition victoriously every time a particularly good take is reached. Guitarists Denny Laine and Jimmy McCulloch scan newspapers on control room couches, apprehensively awaiting recording time. Downstairs in the studio, McCartney sits at the piano, leans into the microphone and begins to sing a song that differs greatly from the scratchy tune that had come out of those small cassette speakers, minutes before. Coaching English on several takes, McCartney joyously shouts encouraging instructions to his drummer over a practice vocal. ‘Latin beat in four bars,’ McCartney energetically instructs. As the song begins to blossom, Denny and Linda add imaginary harmonies to the tune. In just over an hour, the song has changed considerably.”

Paul McCartney had an idea of what he wanted, but in many ways, it came out in a stream of spontaneity. It was based on the concept of ‘give the people what they want’ and Paul McCartney above all else always knew what the buying public wanted, sometimes before they were even aware of their own desires. In other words; “you want this, you just don’t know it yet.”

Here is a quote from Paul McCartney’s co-arranger, Tony Dorsey who marvelled at his ingenuity.

Paul has absolute control of all of his music. I think he basically likes to have someone to critique his work to reassure him. Occasionally he would come to me and say, ‘I need horns here, but I have no idea, so give me your best shot.’ Or, like on ‘Silly Love Songs’, he knew exactly what he wanted from the horns but had no idea what he wanted from the strings.”

One could look back to the earliest days of The Beatles and detect similar processes at work in some of the Fab Four’s run of hit songs and albums with George Martin at the helm.

With ‘Silly Love Songs’, those who understand Paul McCartney and how his style was influenced by those immediately surrounding him, will note the similar song structure to ‘God Only Knows’ by The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson and his masterpiece ‘Pet Sounds’ was a source of intrigue for Paul McCartney. Just listen to the intro of both songs side by side. You may detect some similarities.

In the end, the listener is greeted with a love song that celebrates the authentic love between Paul and Linda. Much of the song exists as the McCartney’s ode to the importance of family. Through it all, ‘Silly Love Songs’ becomes eternally relatable, and the buying public ate it up. Listening to it nearly fifty years later, I would challenge you to listen to it again for the first time, and I guarantee you will discover the song for its relevance in the lexicon of the Paul McCartney catalogue. 

It is certainly no accident that ‘Silly Love Songs’ became his biggest hit with Wings.

As great as the studio version is, it is the live version that really sells it. Here is a performance from Rockshow in 1976, a short time after its release. The blend of the dominant bassline and the horns leaves the audience in a hypnotic trance. Paul has won them over. Watch as he leads the band. He is the central figure in this clip for a reason.

This live version lacks the video accompaniment but you get a sense ot Paul McCartney and Wings’ commitment to excellence in the live setting. This recording was captured on the triple live album ‘Wings Over America’.  

Sharing two live versions from 1976 was by designs because remarkably neither Paul McCartney nor Wings ever performed the song live again.

Think about it. The best-selling song in his post Beatles catalogue and he hasn’t played it in 48 years and counting. There is only one artist alive who could justify such a setlist decision. It is simply because his legion of hits is so plentiful that it is only after the curtain falls that audiences could note its absence.

The legend reigns.

Although. Paul decided to retire ‘Silly Love Songs’ the message lived on through the voice of numerous other artists and one unique presentation by Paul himself.

Recently, Shirley Bassey has appeared in a run of Ted Tocks features. This is purely by coincidence, but the fact is whatever Dame Shirley does is high end and needs to be shared. This is from her 1977 album ‘You Take My Heart Away’. Shirley Bassey and Paul McCartney are long time friends and both are considered music royalty in the U.K. Bassey’s cover of ‘Silly Love Songs’ is widely considered one of the best covers of Paul McCartney’s post Beatles material.

Following the dissolution of Wings, Paul McCartney embarked on a project that would yield his fifth solo album, ‘Give My Regards to Broad Street’. Partially due to the strength of the single, ‘No More Lonely Nights’ the 1984 album went to #1 in the U.K. There is merit in thinking that much of the attraction to ‘Give My Regards to Broad Street’ stemmed from some interesting re-interpretations of several classic Beatles and Paul McCartney recordings.

In the film this is the second big studio number which we made as if for a video. Really, we just wanted to use the opportunity of being in a studio to dress up. The story for the film was that we were on a planet and we were a little music box that appears every day, plays a song and disappears.”

The ever-classy McCartney dedicated the six Lennon-McCartney tracks on this album to the memory of his long-time song writing partner. Here is the updated version of ‘Silly Love Songs’.

One year later one of the key figures in the Liverpool ‘Merseybeat’ style, Gerry Marsden who was the leader of The Beatles rival band Gerry and the Pacemakers, released this cover of ‘Silly Love Songs’ on his album ’18 Hits of Lennon and McCartney’. This was released on the K-Tel label. Wow!

In 1996, Denny Laine released ‘A Tribute to Paul McCartney and Wings’ which included this strong and definitely edgier version of ‘Silly Love Songs’. I love the rock and roll vibe from Laine whose friendship with Paul McCartney went back to his days in The Moody Blues. When Paul McCartney formed Wings, Denny Laine was top of mind and he and Denny Selwell formed a dynamic guitar tandem that saw Laine remain through the band’s decade long run as a global force. Sadly, Denny Laine died in December of 2023 on the anniversary of ‘Band on the Run’ hitting #1 in the United States. It was exactly 50 years to the day that the song hit the ‘toppermost of the poppermost’.

As the curtain was closing on the 20^th century, a New Zealand act called Ardijah went to #1 in their native country with a what they referred to as a poly-funk version of ‘Silly Love Songs’. In all, this cover remained on the ‘kiwi’ charts for 17 weeks. This adds credence to the universal popularity of Paul McCartney and Wings.

As recently as 2021, the quality covers keep coming. Here is another important version to share. Enjoy Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. whose time together goes all the way back to 5^th Dimension in 1966/67. This duo is best known for their Grammy Award winning song, ‘You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be In My Show)’. In 2021 the couple released a tribute to the Lennon and McCartney song writing tandem called ‘Blackbird Lennon-McCartney Icons’. They were inspired to record in response to their concerns with the rising tide of racism and intolerance in the United States.

It was a civil rights movement which became a human rights movement, with a goal to come together during trying times.”

Music has the potential to heal broken souls but way too often the artists are preaching to the converted.

There is something about the eternal quality of Paul McCartney’s music and his presence in the mainstream. In 2015, Sir Paul joined forces with Rihanna and Kanye West to record ‘FourFive Seconds’. McCartney shared the production credit with West, while the list of song writers, credits ten contributors, led by Kanye and Paul. The vocals are primarily handled by Rihanna who does a magnificent job. Backing vocal contributions are provided courtesy of Wilson-Phillips.

I think I’ve had enough
I might get a little drunk
I say what’s on my mind
I might do a little time
‘Cause all of my kindness
Is taken for weakness”

This combination of artists and genres struck a chord, as the song went to #1 in seven countries and hit the top 5 in another five national charts.

A little bit of folk and pop, mixed with a whole lotta soul.

Remember what I said about adaptability?

Paul McCartney just knows what will sell, and he always had a knack for delivering just the right blend of sounds.

Call it intuition, and perhaps you can call it silly, but a six-decade run of success will leave you eternally amazed…

…Maybe?

Hello – I Tell You Time and Time Again How Much I Care. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #LionelRichie

Once again, we set the time travel dial back to 1984. Say ‘Hello” to Lionel Richie, but please resist the urge to ask him if you are the one he is looking for because you would not be the first to ask him that predicable questions.

It was on this day 40 years ago that ‘Hello’ hit #1 on the U.S. Pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary charts. It was the second single from his album ‘Can’t Slow Down’, and along with ‘All Night Long’ it helped ‘Can’t Slow Down’ win the 1984 Grammy for Album of the Year.

Consider this. ‘Can’t Slow Down’ is the top selling album ever released on the Motown label. When one sifts through the list of timeless recordings that Motown has offered through the years this is a staggering feat.

For ‘Hello’, Lionel Richie harkened back to an old theme in his writing. He reflected on his own vulnerabilities. In this case, shyness. In interviews, Lionel Richie has stated that as a young man he was attracted to the beautiful woman all around him, but he considered himself too shy to approach them. Instead, he retreated into his own mind and thought;

Hello, is it me you’re looking for.”

The idea for a song took root, but for years he was not able to complete it to his satisfaction, until a very innocent exchange inspired him and gave him a sense of validation.

In 1981-’82, Lionel Richie was working on his first solo album, which followed his time in The Commodores. His long-time producer, James Anthony Carmichael dropped by his home for a visit. When Carmichael arrived, Richie was sitting at his piano and jokingly said;

Hello, is it me you’re looking for.”

Carmichael was struck by the phrase and instinctively responded with;

Finish that song”

Richie briefly resisted, thinking it was corny but all it took was a little push.

By the time I finished the verse, I fell in love again.”

He kept on writing from the perspective of his younger self and when it was done, he was reasonably satisfied, but still somewhat reluctant. Even though it was written for his solo debut it ended up on the cutting room floor. By the time Richie was ready to record ‘Can’t Slow Down’, his wife Brenda, who loved the song persuaded him to add it to the new recording. This is important because Brenda was also the inspiration for ‘Three Times a Lady’.

Lionel and Brenda were college sweethearts, and were married from 1975 through 1993. The 18-year marriage came to a tumultuous end when Brenda caught Lionel and his mistress Diane Alexander having an affair at her Beverly Hills apartment.

The acrimony in Richie’s life existed long before the demise of his marriage. He was accused of plagiarizing ‘Hello’ by a Long Island song writer named Marjorie Hoffman White.

Based on the advice of a musicologist, White launched a lawsuit stating that ‘Hello’ had used the same melody as her song ‘I’m Not Ready to Go’. The suit sought one million dollars in compensatory damages and requested that Richie halt production and distribution of his recording, and share any future royalties. Here is the story. This is from a YouTube channel called ‘All About Stuff’.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find the song.

In the end, Lionel Richie was found to be not guilty.

The next part of the ‘Hello’ story is the popular video which could be described as divisive. Some find it romantic and heart wrenching, while others feel it is insipid and unwatchable.

In the video, Lionel Richie is depicted as a teacher named Mr. Reynolds who becomes infatuated with a blind pottery student named Laura. As the video develops it is revealed that Laura has created a perfect clay model of Richie (Reynolds) head. In other words, although blind, Laura felt the same way as Mr. Reynolds, and both had been inhibited by their own shyness. It is certainly a nice story, and relatable in a ‘Hallmark’ sort of way. Interestingly, the woman who played ‘Laura’ was indeed named Laura Carrington, and went on to play Dr. Simone Ravelle-Hardy on General Hospita, in the late ‘80s.

Lionel Richie was not convinced that this storyline was a good idea, and made his concerns known to producer Bob Giraldi. The response was definite.

You’re not creating the story, I am.”

Back to the point raised earlier that speaks to the divisiveness of the ‘Hello’ video; in a poll of 8000 music fans conducted by UK-MTV ‘Hello’ had the dubious distinction of being selected the worst video of all time, but in an interview for the book ‘I Want My MTV’ Bob Giraldi was resolute.

I came up with the idea of a blind girl and Lionel as a teacher. ‘Hello’ is one of the top videos ever.”

He put a stamp on this opinion when in response to Lionel Richie’s observation that the bust created by Laura didn’t look enough like him, he rolled his eyes and simply retorted that Richie needed to keep in mind that the creator was visually impaired.

Through the years, Lionel Richie grew to like virtually everything about ‘Hello’ because the accolades far exceeded the negativity. Enjoy this interpretation created by Jimmy Fallon. Lionel Richie plays along, and the result is hysterical.

About the same time as Jimmy and Lionel’s hijinks were presented, discussion related to ‘Hello’ came back up again when Adele released her song, ‘Hello’. Similarities between the two songs by theme and video presentation were quickly raised. Frankly, I don’t see it. The only commonality is the song title. The Lionel Richie and Adele songs would have made a good version of an occasional Ted Tocks Covers feature known as ‘Same Title, Different Song’.

People need to just relax and enjoy the positive qualities. There is too much evil in this world to create a controversy over two very talented artists and their creativity.

To this point, how about we spend some time listening to several quality cover versions of Lionel Richie’s classic song. This is what it’s all about, as we celebrate four decades of a beautiful song.

Anyone who wants to follow a story of an artist with a fascinating trajectory need look no further than Luther Vandross. Back in 1994, Luther Vandross released an album of quality covers called ‘Songs’. This was his way of paying homage to the many artists who inspired him over a quarter century of recording, to that point in time.

Who knew that one of Luther’s first gigs was performing as part of the Sesame Street troupe, Listen My Brother’. Enjoy this video which features Vandross and his friends performing an educational song called ‘Count to 20’.

You can learn plenty, but you’ve got to learn how to count to 20.”

This is so good, but I have gone off on a tangent.

Sadly, the Music world lost this immense talent in 2005. Luther Vandross was only 54 years old.

A quarter century after Gary Puckett and the Union Gap released the insipid song ‘Young Girl’, Gary Puckett recorded ‘Time Pieces’ which is his walk through the past.

One year later in 1996, Shirley Bassey offered her cover of ‘Hello’ on the album ‘The Show Must Go On’. Ted Tocks Covers always enjoys adding Bassey to these features.

Heading into the next century we arrive in 2005 with Paul Anka and this catchy version of ‘Hello’ on his album ‘Rock Swings’. Yet another excellent recording.

Here is what I thought would be another interesting cover. This is from 2007 and it features Arne Benoni with Lynn Anderson (see ‘Cry’ and ‘I Never Promised You a Rose Garden’). Kind of uninspired. Oh well.

Always leave room on your plate for a little Richard Cheese. This is from his album ‘A Lounge Supreme’ in 2011.  This transforms to swing early on and it really takes off. Tons of fun, and of course it takes a shot at the original lyrics by suggesting a more troubled subject.

Sometimes I see you passed out by my door.”

Always a fun take from Richard Cheese.

Following the controversial comparisons that arose in 2015, Demi Lovato performed this abbreviated version during the 2016 Grammys. This is too good not share.

Another Ted Tocks Covers favourite is Mike Masse who in 2019 recorded this strong cover of ‘Hello’ with his friends Rock Smallwood and Bryce Bloom. Always quality from Mike Masse.

Boyce Avenue never disappoints either. Here they are doing their own version of ‘Hello’ in 2020 and absolutely nailing it.

 One other interesting fact that I discovered while writing this feature is that in 2019 Lionel Richie embarked on a business venture. He released some companion perfumes called ‘Hello’. One for men and one for women.

The mens’ was marketed with the line

A lyrical blend. Mesmerize your senses with an aromatic, alluring fragrance. Curated by iconic musician Lionel Richie, Hello, a light yet subtly enticing fougère scent infused with amber florals, is the ideal fragrance companion for the modern man.”

How do you top that?

Well, the women’s promotional tags offered this marketing tag.

Hello by Lionel Richie Eau de Parfum is described as a sensual and elegant fruity-chypre scent with floral and oriental nuances. Sweet and refreshing notes at the top of the composition include citruses, fruits and pink pepper blossom. Modern notes of jasmine and tuberose make the floral heart of the perfume, based on sweet, woody and musky aromas.”

Things went so well for this fragrance that Lionel Richie followed up ‘Hello’ with another ode to his musical catalogue.

Breathe in the aroma as you listen.

It’s easy. ‘Easy Like Sunday Morning’.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful Mothers out there. You make the world a better place and it says here that women deserve so much better, in so many ways.

Hopefully with the help of some quality music we will be one step closer to that place.

Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) – Remembering Harry Belafonte with what to many is his signature song. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #HarryBelafonte

In one word, ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ can be described as fascinating. It comes down to its history, and its close connection to the socio-political climate in its place of origin. Most importantly, it shares the voice of the people that quite simply fuel the engine that keeps the economy moving. Read on for more because the voice of the people needs to be heard, and understood.

From a musical standpoint ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ is known as a traditional Jamaican folk song that draws from mento influences. Mento goes back to musical roots brought to the Americas, and the Caribbean from West Africa. The term ‘mento’ is thought to be derived from the Spanish word ‘mentar’ which translates to ‘to mention, call out, name’. A common trait of these songs features the lead calling out the song’s subject, often in a subtle yet critical way.

For instance, in the case of ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ we hear the reference to the ‘Tally Man’. Generally speaking, this style evolved into what is known as calypso. The call and response delivery tells the story. The workers are on a pier in Kingston, Jamaica. They have worked through the night in order to avoid the intense Jamaican heat. The crew has cut bananas, weighed them and then loaded them. Their job is done. Next crew. The sun is rising. Once the tally man weighs their day’s toil, the shift is over. The leader of the group leads the lyrics. It’s a work song that sets the scene.

Day-o, day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Work all night on a drink of rum
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Stack banana till de morning come
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

A beautiful bunch o’ ripe banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Hide the deadly black tarantula
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana
Daylight come and me wan’ go home

Day-o, day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day-o
Daylight come and me wan’ go home”

Perhaps the most interesting aspect related to all of this is the fact that the person who actually wrote ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ has been pretty much lost in time. This speaks to the spontaneous nature of the creativity. In the early part of the 20^th century the labourers would pool their money to hire whoever they deemed to be the best calypso/mento singers, and have them hired to be a part of their crew. Music and song helps them to pass the time in what otherwise is a thankless job.

This introduction leads to the traditional lyrics of ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ that we all know today. The lyrics were adapted by Irving Burgie and William Attaway (Lord Burgess), who was a popular Caribbean composer. Attaway was close friends with Harry Belafonte. These three collaborated on Harry Belafonte’s ‘Calypso’ album. The song was introduced to the United States on ‘The Colgate Comedy Hour’. Here is a remastered version of this iconic performance.

Incidentally, ‘Calypso’ was Harry Belafonte’s third album, and second record in a row to hit #1 on the Billboard Top Pop albums. ‘Calypso’ was released in May of 1956. According to Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) Belafonte’s signature recording became the first L.P. to sell over one million copies.

For Harry Belafonte to package, and then present this island genre to the world, was a stroke of genius. Here is a quote from Jamaican mento musician, Lord Flea who is known as the ‘Bob Marley of mento’.

In Jamaica, we call our music ‘mento’ until very recently. Today, ‘calypso’ is beginning to be used for all kinds of Western music. This is because it’s become so commercialized there. Some people like to think of West Indians as carefree natives who work and sing and play and laugh their lives away. But this isn’t so. Most of the people there are hard-working folks, and many of them are smart business men. If the tourists want ‘calypso’, that’s what we sell them.”

Although Harry Belafonte’s version of ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’ is the most famous version it was Edric Connor and the Caribbeans who brought the song to record in 1952. This initial recording was released as ‘Dah Dah Light (Banana Loader’s Song)’ on their ‘Songs from Jamaica’ album.

In addition to the Edric Connor and the Caribbeans version, a Jamaican paois version by Louise Bennett is beloved by Jamaicans. Known as the Honourable Miss Lou, Bennett was a poet, folklorist, writer and educator. Throughout her life she made it her mission to preserve these artforms while ensuring the validity of local language in literary expression. She worked as a teacher at the University of West Indies, hosted a radio show called ‘Miss Lou’s Views’ and starred in the movies ‘Calypso’ and ‘Club Paradise’. Her contribution to ‘Day O (The Banana Boat Song’ is heard in this version, and can be noted in the fact that she provided additional context to Harry Belafonte.

Bennett’s approach to the song connected ‘Hull and Gully Rider’ and ‘Dah Dah Light’ which she shared with Harry Belafonte. Among her many honours and accomplishments is being a Member of the British Empire (1960).

Louise Bennett moved to Scarborough, Ontario in the late ‘80s, and sadly, passed away on July 27, 2006, after collapsing at her home. Revered to the end, Miss Lou’s was flown to Jamaica where she lay in state at the National Arena in August of 2006.

Consider this the most authentic version of ‘Day O (The Banana Boat Song’ and a true precursor to what became the Harry Belafonte hit.

The success of ‘Day O (The Banana Boat Song’ in the United States paved the way for a couple of solid jazz-piano, orchestral covers shortly after.

First, here is Sarah Vaughan and her 1956 cover of what was reduced to ‘The Banana Boat Song’.

Now take a moment and enjoy Shirley Bassey and her 1957 rendition.

The two previous versions I shared owe a lot to folk traditionalist Bob Gibson whose cover of ‘Day O (The Banana Boat Song)’ became a true education. This is a must listen.

For Bob Gibson, music was as much about helping people understand history and sociology as it was about entertainment. Gibson made it his mission to help people understand the roots of the songs we loved.

Gibson played an integral role in bringing ‘Day O (The Banana Boat Song)’ to America. He taught the song to a folk group called The Tarriers. It included the ‘Hill and Gully Rider’. Its chart success actually preceded Harry Belafonte. Movie enthusiasts will be interested to know that one of the Tarriers was acclaimed actor, Alan Arkin.

Bob Gibson’s part in the history of folk music is a story unto itself. He introduced Joan Baez to the New York folk scene and brough her to Newport. Among his many notable collaborations was writing with Shel Silverstein. Yet another fascinating character as we tread deeper into the dense forest of musicology.

Another intriguing performer that emerged out of the early ‘60s rock and roll era was Gary U.S. Bonds who served as a major inspiration to Bruce Springsteen among others. Here is his rock and roll cover of ‘Day O (The Banana Boat Song)’.

Take a listen to this country take on today’s feature offered by Jimmy Rodgers who is known by many as ‘The Father of Country Music’.  

For years, The Kinks added a brief version of ‘Day O’ as a connection between songs during their concerts. Ray Davies has always been a master at playing to the audience. This interaction serves to build as the show goes on.

In 1978, Harry Belafonte performed on season 3 of The Muppet Show in this memorable skit. Watch as he can barely hold back his laughter.

https://archive.org/details/muppet-songs-harry-belafonte-day-o-the-banana-boat-song-uncut

Children of the ‘70s and early ‘80s will be familiar with Raffi. Here is his cover of ‘Day-O’. This is important because it ensures that the story continues to be told. In a perfect world people will take a deeper look into the song’s origin.

Remember ‘Mr Boombastic’? Enjoy this brilliant cover by Shaggy from 1995. This version was known simply as ‘Day Oh’. This equal parts fun and good.  It combines the original with Shaggy’s interpretive presentation.

Here is another one for the children. In the early 2000s, The Wiggles were huge. This is from 2008 and their album ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’. Once again, the story is shared in a way that is accessible to the kids.

As the years roll on, we get another quality cover from a surprising source. The memories go all the way back to the ‘60s folk scene. Here, we get a fabulous presentation by the legendary, Donovan. This is from his 2019 tribute album called ‘Donovan – Jump in the Line: The Commonwealth of Music Scotland & Jamaica – A Tribute to Harry Belafonte’.

There are many great movie moments from the ‘80s. Here is just one. This scene from 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice’ goes down as a classic.  

Good times. Good vibe. Good memories, and some really interesting history.

There is something soothing and authentic about hearing Harry Belafonte sing ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)’. His father was from the West Indies and his mother was from Jamaica. When the opportunity presented, he brought the Caribbean to North America.

The most important thing to me about ‘The Banana Boat Song’ is that before America heard it, Americans had no notion of the rich culture of the Caribbean. Very few of them did, anyway, which made no sense to me. It made no sense to me back then that people in America would not respond to the Caribbean culture I knew in joyous, positive ways. But there were these cultural assumptions then about people from the Caribbean – that they were all rum drinking, sex-crazed and lazy – not they were tillers of the land, harvesters of bananas for landlords of the plantations. I thought, let me sing about a new definition of these people. Let me sing a classic work song, about a man who works all night for a sum equal to the cost of a dram of beer, a man who works all night because it’s cooler then than during the day.”

To his credit, he kept on going.

His advocacy for the civil rights movement is well documented, and in this space, he was on the leading edge. He was a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. from the beginning of King’s mission. , Belafonte played a key role in the Youth March for Integrated Schools, and the 1963 March on Washington. As a result of this stance, Belafonte, among others was blacklisted during the McCarthy era along with several other civil rights activists. Still, he charged on. During this period, one of MLK’s primary financial backers was none other than Harry Belafonte. In his own words, Belafonte justified every action by stating his admiration for the Martin Luther King Jr.

He nourished my soul.”

It was this devotion to Martin Luther King Jr that led to Belafonte becoming a Black endorser for the 1960 Kennedy campaign. It is startling to know that Harry Belafonte was John F. Kennedy’s response to the fact the Richard Nixon campaign had secured baseball star Jackie Robinson as their advocate. A rare strike out for number 42.

Throughout his career Harry Belafonte stayed true to many humanitarian causes. He was a major force in the anti-apartheid movement, and did all he could to support Black artists who were suppressed as a result of their political stance (See ‘Makeba’ and ‘Nina Simone’).

When Bob Geldof was looking for the perfect way to conclude Live Aid, who else should be present than Harry Belafonte? This gets off to a rocky start, but thanks to Patti Labelle it all comes together.

Of course, Harry Belafonte played a major role in gathering the artists who appeared on U.S.A. for Africa. Everything that is spontaneous is genuine.

His smile tells the story.

From 1987 through to his death on this day in 2023, Harry Belafonte resided as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. I could go on and on.

All I as is that on this day, choose your version of ‘Day-O (The Banana Boat Song’ , and sing along.

Raise a glass and toast Harry Belafonte.

Copacabana – A trip to a New York City disco with #BarryManilow. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #ShirleyBassey

Today’s feature song comes courtesy of singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and political activist Barry Manilow.

Wait! Political activist?

Read on…I will explain in a moment.

‘Copacabana’ was released in June of 1978 at the height of the disco era. As the story goes, it was inspired by a conversation Barry Manilow was having with his friend and artistic collaborator Bruce Sussman at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The topic came around to the question of whether there had ever been a song called ‘Copacabana’ because the name had a nice ring to it. It gave them pause to reflect on the famous nightclub in New York City.  Manilow suggested that Sussman and another accomplished songwriter Jack Feldman work on some lyrics based on the name and the corresponding night life scene. Sussman and Feldman eagerly accepted the challenge while Manilow worked on the music.

The resulting piece tells the story of a beautiful Copacabana showgirl named Lola and her boyfriend Tony, who is the club’s bartender. The couple manage to maintain their affair from a respectful distance while working until one night a local mobster named Rico, waltzes into the nightclub and begins to make moves on Lola. In Tony’s mind he takes it too far and he takes exception. In the ensuing melee shots are fired and when the dust settles Tony lies dead on the floor. Thirty years later the Copa is transformed into a discotheque and a grieving Lola returns on a regular basis, still despondent over the loss of her beloved boyfriend. Despite her sadness and anger, Lola still casts a dark presence at the club even though she is still adorned in her showgirl attire. Sadly, years of excessive drinking and mental anguish had taken its toll.

‘Copacabana’ was released as the third single on Manilow’s Even Now album. In hindsight it is hard to believe that such a catchy song could be released in the third spot, but it does speak to the depth of content on that recording. There is an interesting connection between ‘Copacabana’ and the Kinks song Lola. In his autobiography ‘Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road’, Ray Davies tells the story of hanging out with Barry Manilow’s Arista Records president, Clive Davis and being captured by the song and the sad story that included Lola as a main character. He was adamant that ‘Copacabana’ would be a hit and it should be released as soon as possible. Davis took the suggestion to Manilow and he readily agreed. Although it didn’t do as well on the charts as ‘Ready to Take a Chance Again’ it resonated in the disco scene of the day and amongst his musical peers. The end result was a Grammy for Barry Manilow in 1979 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

So how does all this relate to Barry Manilow being a political activist? For that we need to fast forward almost 30 years to an invitation for Manilow to be interviewed on the popular television talk show, ‘The View’. The offer stemmed from Manilow’s recent release called ‘The Greatest Songs of the Seventies’. The iconic singer was looking forward to the appearance because he had long standing friendships with three of The View’s co-hosts; Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. Unfortunately, Manilow and the shows fourth co-host, Barbara Hasselbeck were like oil and water when it came to their views on political and social issues. To be specific, Manilow was open about his disdain for the War in Iraq and the Bush presidency. He was also pro choice and a proponent of women’s right to choose, and respected their control over their own fertility. He abhorred the pro-life movement and their blatant hypocrisies. You guessed it…Hasselbeck was pro Republican, pro-life and had no issue with the Gulf War and the lies that served as its catalyst. For Manilow’s part, he insisted he would not take part in an interview that involved Hasselbeck. ‘The View’ producers said this was not an option and Manilow had no right to dictate these terms. As a result, Manilow, bowed out of his commitment. From The View’s point of view they cancelled the appearance due to the unreasonable demands from the would be guest. In a statement Barry Manilow maintained his resolve.

“It’s really too bad because I’ve always been a big supporter of the show, but I cannot compromise my beliefs.”

Barry Manilow

It should be noted here that Barry Manilow is a big supporter of the Democratic Party. That same year the artist donated the maximum allowable $2300 campaign donation to each of Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and John Edwards. To further ensure that John McCain and Sarah Palin did not get in he even threw $2300 behind rogue Texas Republican Ron Paul.

So, there you have it. Barry Manilow; man of political conviction, tormentor of Republicans everywhere.

To tie in with the intended purpose of ‘The View’ visit here is a really cool acoustic version of ‘Copacabana’.

To no surprise I was able to find an interesting cover version of ‘Copacabana’. In 1979 Shirley Bassey recorded a strong version on her This is My Life’ album. The music and delivery are fantastic but this video provides a fascinating history of the famed venue and if you scroll down you get a brief overview of not only the song but the Copacabana itself.

Your challenge; should you accept it…Get ‘Copacabana’ out of your head.

Have a great day.

Get the Party Started – A brief story behind a fun song from #Pink (#P!nk) on her 40th birthday. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #LindaPerry #RedMan #ShirleyBassey #DavidCassidy

Happy 40^th Birthday to Alecia Beth Moore.

“Let’s get the party started.”

P!nk

You may know Alecia as Pink, or P!nk.

‘Get the Party Started’ was released as the first single on P!nk’s second album back in 2001. It became an international hit and at the time it was her biggest selling song. Released just a month after 9/11, it couldn’t have come at a better time. This party song literally kick started a grieving country and P!nk never looked back. In fact, if you look at the video, at the 1:46 mark you see an American Flag, which is an acknowledgement to the victims of the September 11^th attack and their families. More on the video later.

Now, regular readers of Ted Tocks may think that featuring P!nk is a little out of the norm for my typical posts but please know that as an artist she has grown on me over the last five years or so. It just seems that every time I see her perform a song I am blown away. P!nk is actually a cover version gold mine. I have featured her on three other occasions. (See ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You’ and ‘White Rabbit’) If you missed these posts the first time around, check them out. It was these incremental viewings of P!nk’s work that had me constantly wanting more. Combine this with the fact that she stands on the right side of a multitude of social issues, and P!nk really hits the Ted Tocks grand slam. Yes, she is a little ‘pop’py but it is balanced with immense talent, unending charm, extreme social awareness, a degree of class and a wide spectrum of musical diversity that makes her impossible to not like.

Having said that, I should point out that it was Heather that brought her to my attention. When you consider that P!nk has been around since about 1995 and I ‘discovered her in about 2015 I am about 15 years ahead of my typical awareness curve for artists who don’t operate in my typical wheelhouse. This moment of self-deprecation is brought to you by The Quentin Tarantino movie collection. Give me a pat on the back. I went and saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood last month. I loved it. It was my first Quentin Tarantino movie. I immediately went to watch several others on Netflix, including Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. Do you see what I mean about my not leaping into pop culture trends?

Why do I bring this up?

P!nk actually adapted her stage name from the character, Mr. Pink in the movie Reservoir Dogs. So, there you have it. If I wasn’t so up on things, I would have never got that reference.

Getting back to today’s feature song. ‘Get the Party Started’ was actually written by Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes fame. Speaking of captivating. (See ‘What’s Up’). 4 Non Blondes was one of P!nks favourite bands. Today’s song was composed by Perry when she was going through what she called a weird phase where she became determined to write a song based on a programmed drum beat. She combined that with a bass riff and the song gradually emerged which in her words utilized virtually every catch phrase she could think of. By the time it was done she realized she had written a dance song. In a recent interview Perry indicated that she had hoped to sell the song to Madonna but she was turned down. This is when it entered P!nk’s orbit. The ultimate collaboration led to a period of time where P!nk actually moved in with Perry and the pair began to write together.

“You create something in your bedroom or your house, and it’s just a fun thing that you’re doing. Then all of a sudden, you hear that song that you started in your house, and it’s on the radio. And people are now acknowledging it. It’s just trippy.”

Linda Perry

Earlier in today’s post I mentioned the video for ‘Get the Party Started’. If you watch closely you can see Linda Perry acting as the bartender. The video for ‘Get the Party Started’ won the 2002 Best Pop Video award at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. It also won Best Female Video and Best Dance Video. It clearly identified with her core audience as it depicts a young girl endlessly sampling her wardrobe, looking for the perfect thing to wear before going out to party on a Saturday night. As it progresses you see her join up with a friend and it follows their exploits as they are objectified, rejected and ultimately accepted due to their boldness and undeniable magnetic personalities. One of the dancers she performs with is Britney Spears ex-husband, Kevin Federline.  All of this happens in a little over 3 minutes. The video actually cuts out a verse.

Here is a completely different version of ‘Get the Party Started’ featuring rapper, RedMan. Check out the sample of the Eurythmics ‘Sweet Dreams’. Enjoy this before I move on to todays intriguing cover version. There is so much going on here, but they tie it all together.

Five years after ‘Get the Party Started’ was released it was covered by the legendary Shirley Bassey. It was intended as a spy themed commercial for a Marks and Spencer Christmas television advertising campaign. Before everyone knew it, the song became a cult smash. The Guardian wrote this apt review;

 “Bassey is the only singer alive who could take the bouncing, enthusiastic R&B of the original Get the Party Started and turn it into a grand, imperious swoop worthy of a Bond theme; it’s a terrific cover version, even if it perhaps didn’t quite merit the album attached to it.”

The Guardian

Here it is.

To close out this post I wanted to share what I would consider to be another unlikely cover artist, but again, it works. People seem to love it when I feature David Cassidy…from friends to his fan club who reside all over the world. Much like P!nk’s vast popularity, David Cassidy’s memory seems to register worldwide, which is also fascinating to me. Here is a hilarious segment from the popular TV show Malcolm in the Middle. The things I have discovered in over 600 posts.

“The here and now is a special, special gift. That’s why I call it the present.”

David Cassidy on Malcolm in the Middle