Miracles

Wow! Haven't thought about this song in decades. And had no idea it was Jefferson Starship. I was thinking maybe Seals and Crofts...? Nevertheless, I'm so glad the '70s are lodged in my brain to the extent they are. It's a miracle, baby.

Artist: Jefferson Starship
Year: 1975
Rating: Warm

Popcorn

How many of you out there have ever come across this amazingly insidious little tune? I always thought it was a pure product of the early '80s; I had no idea it was a composition originally written on a Moog, going back to 1969! I came across the above version (the one in my head currently) when my friend Ramee introduced it, along with an infectiously awesome line dance, to our group at Jewish summer camp, probably in about 1982.

Here's the original by Gershon Kingsley:



Learn loads more about the song at the site dedicated to all things "Popcorn," Popcorn-Song.Com. Unfortunately, I can't find any info online about the choreography of the dance we learned in the '80s.

Artist (in my head): Hot Butter
Artist (original): Gershon Kingsley
Year: 1969, 1972
Rating: Luke Hot

Time to Change

I've used the refrain as an email signature for the last several months, part ode to campy pop and part reminder to myself of the existential inevitablity of change. Those Brady kids can get deep.

Artist: The Brady Bunch
Year: 1972
Rating: Luke Hot

Endgame

Like a Stipean nigun.

Artist: R.E.M.
Year: 1991
Rating: Warm

Here's a lovely review by Matthew over at Pop Songs.

Blue Bayou

Hit me suddenly after making a phone call on a job inquiry, sipping my second cuppa coffee.

Artist: Linda Ronstadt (original 1963, by Roy Orbison/Joe Melson)
Year: 1977
Rating: Luke Hot

Ruby Tuesday

Ain't life unkind?

One of my all-time faves. Starting to amass a fine collection of Stones tunes here at The Songs In My Head. I just had to go back through the old entries and look for new video links, 'cause YouTube had yanked a bunch for copyright infringement. Gah.

Artist: Rolling Stones
Year: 1967
Rating: Hot!

Note: If you happen to be clicking about the site and see any more video links that have been pulled and are no longer working, please email me at soozzip at gmail dot com. See Help with Edits for details!

Over the Hills and Far Away

One of my favorite Zeppelin songs, probably one that many a high school boy back in the day would've said was one of their "girlie" tunes. In fact, the last time I heard it on the radio, several months ago in the car with Scotty, I believe his sentiment on the acoustic intro was, "Wow, that's gay!"

The above performance is great, though the audio level is low. Best with headphones!

Artist: Led Zeppelin
Year: 1973
Rating: Hot!

Someday Someway

It's those upbeat love songs with a tinge of anomie that get me every time. Thank you, Mr. Crenshaw.

Artist: Marshall Crenshaw
Year: 1982
Rating: Luke Hot

Wonderful Tonight/Stuck On You Mash Up

This morning, I woke up with a perfectly blended mash-up of Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" and Lionel Richie's "Stuck On You." It was prompted by last night's re-watching of the Friends episode where Monica and Chandler get engaged; they dance to the Clapton song over the end credits. These songs have always been glued to each other in my head. Maybe it's the relatively similar tempo, key, and song structure, but whenever one of them enters my consciousness, the other one seamlessly follows.



In fact, I often play, in my mind's music studio, the intro guitar riff to "Wonderful Tonight," then go right into the first verse of "Stuck On You," then back into Clapton's riff unconsciously before my brain recognizes that I'm melding the two songs. You know, now that I'm listening close, the guitar riffs actually sound almost identical.

There's a further twist in this mental mash-up of mine: at certain points when these songs have appeared in my head historically, I have also searched my '70s/'80s mental catalogue of radio hits, always with the nagging sensation that there was a third song stuck to "Stuck On You" and "Wonderful Tonight." I'm realizing now, though, as I play these songs side by side, that this "third" song is probably just a mental creation, my brain explaining the cognitive mystery of why these songs also sound like some unidentifiable country tune that I want to attribute to someone like B.J. Thomas or Gordon Lightfoot. As Lionel Richie's image knowingly tips his ten gallon hat to us from the cover photo of his 1984 single, I'm guessing that my brain was just trying to explain why I'm hearing what is essentially a country-pop song written by an R&B legend. Kind of awesome how the brain compensates and creates "realities" that don't exist.

Artist (Stuck On You): Lionel Richie
Year: 1984
Rating: Warm

Artist (Wonderful Tonight): Eric Clapton
Year: 1977
Rating: Cold

Any Way You Want It, Redux

Last in my head on April 13, 2009.

Artist: Journey
Year: 1980
Rating: Hot!