Fun Songs and Beckman Vineyard's Rosé

So, did you survive another Monday? Great day here in Nebraska cause it rained all day and only reached 66^o for a high, a record for us, but nobody’s complaining because we don’t usually see this kind of weather until October. So, how but some fun music? The blog tonight contains some of my favorite songs, some of which are the greatest ever. Lot’s of good guitar “Check out the tasteful bridge by Huey Lewis’ guitarist on Small World), but mostly just great songs  by some stellar groups and people. It’ll get your blood pumping for the rest of the week.

The criteria were the sentiment, the beat, i.e. does it pump you up, and do I just plain love the song. I purposely ended with two of the greatest dance songs by Gloria Estafan. Interesting when you look at these old videos. Beyoncé stole a couple of dance moves from her. See if you can get into her groove and dance. Blast it at the office and see if you can get the whole place moving. It’s a great way to start the day. Enjoy!

Sweet Freedom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-xetxYwyak

Danger Zone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK0P1Bk8Cx4

Small World: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Kga9Onc60

Jesus is just all right: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwbGjzF3mB0

Footloose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjqfGe_80Ck

I keep forgetting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY0--b6DLqQ

Don’t stop believing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcjzHMhBtf0

Fragile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB6a-iD6ZOY

Old time rock and roll: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQswfILThsY

Takin care of business: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybtl9qVFAjc

Turn the page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3khH9ih2XJg

Southbound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loieSYMoLLs

Mississippi Queen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFhM1XZsh6o

Can’t find my way home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSn2Y-b6wI

Badge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3nPXFcARkA

Watchtower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw0Gd8uiM5s

Every breath you take: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs

Sunshine of your love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhzF2K2b7Xo

While my guitar gently weeps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3RYvO2X0Oo

Jump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap2J9RbXaP4

Desert Rose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3lWwBslWqg

Let it be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Z8t8X2KCo

Smooth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-y2LUh-9AA

Summer of Sixty-nine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2tOoBd9RP8

Conga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww4Mil9GMJ4

Rhythm is gonna get you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr1Isgg7F7U

Since this entry focuses on fun, how about a  2012 Beckman Vineyards Grenache Rose ($18.00). Like Stolpman  Vineyards, Beckman’s “Le Bec” is one of my favorite Syrah’s and this Rosés is out of this world. “What is it with Syrah Vinyards? They seem to make incredible Rosés. The color is coppery red, almost orange and has an aroma of oranges, strawberries and fruit candies. Strawberries dominate the palate, but there are notes of citrus and herbs with a mineral berry finish. Lovely for sipping by itself, although it goes great with grilled teriyaki salmon. It’s just the ticket for the tonight’s musical selections.

Cheers!

Adam Rafferty & Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling

Adam Rafferty is one of the funkiest acoustic guitarist out there and, of course, one of my favs. He had quite the childhood starting with his birth and upbringing in Harlem that led to getting hooked playing blues guitar at age 6. When he turned 10, he had the dubious honor of getting mugged in front of his apartment building.  By the age of 12 he was playing in a hard rock band then got ripped off by a club owner on his first gig at 15.

He started playing professionally at 19 and at 20 he was playing an after hours joint in Harlem on 137 street and Adam Clayton Boulevard where he says the band leader regularly 
drank himself into to oblivion and threatened customers with a 10 inch kitchen knife.

Adam’s played everywhere from the New York City subway to the upscale music rooms and concert halls of New York and Europe. He’s one of the most prolific producers of YouTube (millions of viewers) and instructional videos as well as two books explaining how to play his arrangements. He’s particularly well known for his arrangements Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson songs, but if you’ve never seen him combine playing two simultaneous melodies while accompanying himself as a human beatbox on Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon, you’ve led a deprived life. It is not to be missed. Oh, and you might want to check out his version of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” Best I’ve ever heard…Oh hell, while your at it, his version of one of my all time favorite Michael Jackson songs, “The Way You Make Me Feel” is incredible. And I used to do George Gershwin’s “Summertime” in coffee houses when I was playing professionally…but not like him.

Sigh, oh to be so talented.

Human Nature: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNxiE1edUNg

Storm wind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMEMfJM4QsA

The Hippie Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAmtVpZKd64

Yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeCLOgFqNsU

Can’t buy me love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6nvBRc0DfM

Get back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPqU5Qp5_9k

Higher ground: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZakmPbXhBUM

The way you make me feel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T10El7IG1VE

Black or white: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkju__lOlk8

Thriller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZQuU8rE1LE

Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLF7-Ui94AI

Lovely day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjY-KQz5p5s

Summertime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DwZHV5cbYI

Rock with you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWz9y9k7DIo

Superstition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1CZqlEb8H4

Chameleon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnvd6etRlHk

I’ve said several times that my favorite wines for summer are Sauvignon Blancs, Rieslings, Rosés, and Pinot Noirs. They’re light, crisp and fruity which certainly goes well with Nebraska’s summer heat. Tonight I’m suggesting a very nice Riesling to sip while you listen to the amazing Adam Rafferty. The 2011 Chateau St. Michelle Dry Riesling ($7.50) is just what its name implies. Drier than the usual Riesling, crisp, refreshing, and loaded with aromas and flavors of peaches, apples, and lemon-lime with a honeyed finish. It’s also a bit higher in alcohol content (12%) than a standard Riesling, which to me adds to its refreshment. All in all it’s a bright, juicy wine. Enjoy!

Cheers!

The Beatles and Girard Petite Sirah

I decided to expand on my last entries and focus on groups from the sixties that set the course of music for decades to come. So, tonight I’m leading off with a group that had by far the biggest influence of any of these groups, namely the Beatles. I remember watching them on the Ed Sullivan show straining to hear the music over the screaming girls. To this day, I don’t understand the weird emotions young girls felt that made them go absolutely bonkers. But hey, I’m a musician, and their yelling made it hard to hear the music.

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison were very good guitarists even by today’s standards, and the song writing team of Lennon/McCartney has yet to be surpassed. Don’t miss the video labeled “Last Ed Sullivan Concert.” It contains one of my favorites, “I feel fine,” but more importantly, it was the debut performance of Paul singing “Yesterday.” Enjoy!

I want to hold your hand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iim6s8Ea_bE

I’m a loser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMZzUvbTQHo

I should have known better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3Qxlj9pnTc

I saw her standing there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhNWNktU2v8

Twist and shout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_I8RCUpe-c

Last Ed Sullivan Concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FkQWAc27FU

Daytripper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFh0XGjFhGk

Get back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS2DGxRl1hU

Shindig (Kansas City; I’m a Loser; Boys): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEp2O3JfMUs

Lady Madonna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucPcofSjNbE

Revolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKB-w179PIQ

You’ve got to hide your love away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv4gGTtbRqg

Hey Jude: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMTqvhV_nDM

Blackbird: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrxZhWCAuQw

Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj2bmQ4P4cM

Let it be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4zaofnVhps

In my life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3wvUwb4p4Q

A fine vintage group like the Beatles calls for a equally fine wine. The 2010 Girard Petite Sirah ($21.00) is one of the best wines I’ve tasted. Beautiful aromas of dark berries, spice and herbs lead to a palate full of blackberries, black currents, spices, and a bit of black pepper. It’s a luscious wine, elegant and refined. Oddly enough, I got it at Costco at a very good price. Enjoy the wine and the Beatles and have a great weekend.

Cheers!

Power Guitar Riffs and a Box of Shiraz

This weekend I’m going to take you back in history and revisit some of the best guitar riffs and and power songs in history. There are seventeen selections tonight and another seventeen tomorrow. The songs were selected by several criteria. First, was there a great hook or guitar part that sticks in your mind like a worm devouring your gray matter? “Songs like Walk Don’t Run,” “Day Tripper,” “Louie, Louie,” or “Satisfaction” are representative of this category. Second, did the song have such an impact that it’s been re-recorded or covered numerous times? It seems like every acoustic guitarist has to have a version of “Here Comes The Sun” in their repertoire. Third, were they just real guitar anthems like Pinball Wizard or Watchtower? Fourth is a miscellaneous category. The song defined an era. And last but not least, fifth, I just plain liked it.

Judging from the fact that each entry of this blog gets about 75-100 hits, it’s a good bet that some of the songs tonight were probably recorded before many of my readers were born. So, a little background may be in order. Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen was a classic, yet scandalous, rock tune in the sixties. There were all kinds of takes on the lyrics and supposedly they were quite sexually explicit. If so, the Kingsmen never sang that version publically. The Ventures were an all guitar, all instrumental group. I had all of their records (vinyl) and my favorite all time bass guitar was a Mosrite, the guitar the Ventures played. It had a 30” scale, lightning fast neck, and killer tone.

Wherever possible, I’ve linked to the original videos, i.e. the Beatles videos are taken from their early TV recordings. Try not to laugh at the hairstyles and clothes of the gals and guys. They were cool back then.

One thing you will not see either tonight or tomorrow. No “Free Bird.” I hate that song. Sorry. Hope you get a kick out of tonight’s collection.

Kingsmen

Louie Louie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cec1JInytH0

The Ventures

Walk Don’t Run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I0jy1H5qTo

Pipeline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K40ryWp3Ro4

Beach Boys

Good Vibrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwrKKbaClME

Beatles

Day Tripper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EwHnCDJljo

I feel fine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLJegqXIgM

Money: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_pSCCzuU4Y

Here comes the sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWwrhUX3iTM

Jimi Hendrix

Purple Haze: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjMuKP1GpLY

Watchtower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2bYJQFQMs8

Rolling Stones

Satisfaction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhNm3WI8myM

Honkey Tonk Woman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiRXrFP7HGA

Jumpin Jack Flash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ9D0UHP7x4

Who

Won’t get fooled again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6-wG5LLqE

Pinball wizard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GE8nR-5kL4

Led Zepplin

Immigrant song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlNhD0oS5pk

Cream

Sunshine of your love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqh54rSzheg

There’s a lot to listen to here so I’m going to suggest a box wine, namely Hardy’s Shiraz South Eastern Australia. (about $20.00 for 3 liters). I love a good jammy Shiraz and this is a good one for a boxed wine. Lots of blueberries, black raspberries, and spice with hints of oak and a bit of vanilla. Nothing complex, it’s just a juicy, plush wine. Stick it in the Fridge for an hour to give it a slight chill. Three liters should last through the set. Enjoy!

Cheers!