Songs You May Have Missed #71

sloan

Sloan: “The Rest of My Life” (2004)

Power Pop from one of Canada’s finest.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/07/23/songs-you-may-have-missed-450/

Songs You May Have Missed #70

labor

Three Dog Night: “I’d Be So Happy” (1974)

From 1969-74 Three Dog Night had a string of 18 consecutive Top 20 hits. According to singer Cory Wells, the beautiful ballad “I’d Be So Happy” was supposed to be the next single release, but a decision was made to go with “Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)” instead, which broke the remarkable streak by placing at only #33, and the band only hit the Top 40 once more before disbanding (later to reform essentially as a greatest-hits touring entity).

All but three of the band’s 1969-’75 single releases hit the Top 20, and the band enjoys the distinction of having the highest average chart peak performance among pop acts with 20 or more hits, ahead of even the Madonnas and Mariahs of the world, with an average pop placing of #12.

Chuck Negron, the lead vocalist on “I’d Be So Happy”, relates: “(Producer) Jimmy Ienner knew what I was going through, that my wife had left me and took my baby. He said, ‘Why don’t you just sing this for your daughter, and you’ll be able to show her this some day.’ It’s my daughter’s favorite song. Thank you, Jimmy.”

Songs You May Have Missed #69

don

Don McLean: “Sittin’ On Top of the World” (1973)

Yeah, it’s the “American Pie” guy, doing the old folk-blues chestnut. McLean released a now-impossible-to-find covers album in 1973 called Playin’ Favorites, on which he showed the roots of his music in folk and early rock n roll.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/04/26/songs-you-may-have-missed-399/

See also: Songs You May Have Missed #702 | Every Moment Has A Song (edcyphers.com)

Songs You May Have Missed #68

mars

Roger McGuinn: “May the Road Rise” (1996)

McGuinn puts a melody to the old Irish blessing.

Songs You May Have Missed #67

guy

Guy Forsyth: “Long Long Time” (2005)

A cathartic four-minute rant about the loss of our innocence–and our nation’s.

Songs You May Have Missed #66

estampie

Estampie: “Al Jorn-Alonso” (2007)

Estampie is a German band specializing in medieval music. “Al Jorn” is from 2007’s Signum album, which depicts musically the Europe of the Middle Ages: darkly apocolyptic and threatening, but also beautiful, mystical and stirring. The arrangements prominently feature harps, flutes and bagpipes. Think Loreena Mckennitt meets Canterbury Tales. With hobbits. In Latin.

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