Song 86 - Sing it back (the album version) by Moloko

Just when you think you are beginning to know and maybe guess what is going to come next; I've decided to put a dance track into the Jukebox. Moloko's Sing it back first found itself being a repeated track of Jules after I heard it on a free CD given away by Q Magazine called Essential Chill Out. Sing it back (the album version) was one of the track and for some reason it connected with me. I think it is to do with the beat of the drums throughout the piece and the image of people dancing. I am not known to like house music but being a student of the 90s, you cannot escape the  clubs without having some house music in your soul.  The song came from Moloko's second Album I am not a doctor and didn't achieve much success on first release until it was re-mixed and re-released in August 1999.

Written by Roisin Murphy, the lyrics had first come to her while clubbing in New York but when they had recorded it for their 2nd Album, the band decided to do an alternative version rather than make it the dance track it could be.  It was DJ Boris who turned it back into the club anthem for the end of the 20th Century and the dance version was released on their third album Things to make and do.

The dance version
Sing it back by Moloko

The original album version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ansvzrrUY0c

Written by Roisin Murphy and Mark Brydon
Album: I am not the doctor, 1999.
Remixed by: DJ Boris Dlugosh

Song 85 - Star War Theme - John Williams

Many will probably say that this should have been in the jukebox at the start of December for the release of the new Star War film but I didn't want to jump on a band wagon until I had seen the film. The film is amazing and without any spoilers is completely brilliant. It manages to pay homage to the original films but create its rightful place in the whole brand which is Star Wars. And of course; no Star Wars film would be complete without John Williams and the amazing main title music that is as much a part of Star Wars as Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are.

John Williams, who is responsible for so much of the iconic movie music of our generation, was introduced to George Lucas by Steven Speilberg, who was looking for someone to write the music for his epic space film trilogy Star Wars and the rest they would say is history. What John Williams did with the score; was to create and deliver a grand symphonic score in the fashion of Richard Strauss and the Golden Age of Hollywood composers like Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The main theme is one of the most known pieces of music in film history. Williams won an Academy Award for the Best Original Score in 1977.

For me, as well as taking me into a galaxy far far away; it brings back very happy memories of being at music camp and hearing the Star Wars Music being played by one of the bands at the camp. The music highlights the talent of any brass section in an orchestra that plays this and being a trombonist (at heart and very lapsed); it is wonderful to remember bands playing it. In fact there is so much of Williams music that I have heard performed live; and like other bands, I won't surprise myself if I put more of Williams music into the Jukebox over the coming year. I urge anyone who hasn't seen the new film to go to the cinema.

To go to a galaxy far far away; listen
Star Wars Theme by John Williams

Song 84 - Somebody to Love - Queen

Another first entry into the jukebox for a band who is bound to bring more hits into the jukebox before 2017 happens is Queen and their 1976 top two hit Somebody to love. Queen is one of those bands for me is never at the top of my pile of music, but are definitely in the hall of fame for me. My primary school's Head  Teacher loved Queen and although the days of Primary School are long gone, I am really glad that she brought their music into school as the world would be a duller without them.

Written by the genius that was Freddie Mercury, the song lyrics is about questioning God's role in a life without love and whilst the the track sounds as though they are using a choir; the band is actually using a technique of voice layering applied to Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor's voices that gives the song it uplifting chorus, especially on the new music system that we got for Christmas now that I have worked out how to stream music through the stereo. (Pity my neighbours, although if you are reading this you probably are enjoying my taste in music.)

Somebody to love was the first single from Queen's A day at the races album, which followed their highly successful album A day at the opera, which had Bohemian rhapsody on it.  Roger Taylor later remarked that Freddie Mercury had drawn on the inspiration that was Aretha Franklin  when writing the lyrics and tune. A reference Freddie which is easy to hear on with the gospel like chorus to it.  At this time of year, you need a song you can do a bit of air guitar to and put some energy into the month of January especially as we are all about to take down the Christmas decorations and everything looks bare; and for those who are looking for love this year - this is a perfect song. 

Listen to the one and only Queen:
Somebody to love by Queen

Written by Freddie Mercury
Released: November 1976
Album: A day at the races.

Song 83 - Walk of life by Dire Straits

I think there is nothing better than realising that as well as being your parents, you also share the same interest and I am very lucky that this incredible love of all types of music comes from having parents who loved music and although they weren't fans of us having TV in our rooms, listening to music was always encouraged, although I don't think they always liked our choice in music. Putting in Walk of life by Dire Straits makes me think I am putting dad's tunes into the jukebox, but unlike dad dancing, this is nothing to make you blush with embarrassment as my dad has always had an amazing taste and his own collection of music over the year has been borrowed and copied by me.

Walk of life came from Dire Straits' 1985 Brothers in arms album, which was the fifth album for the band and their most commercially successful album of their career. It spent a 10 weeks at the top of the UK album chart and is one of the most successfully selling albums of all time in the UK. Walk of life has been composed with a simple rock and roll rhythm with the guitars only using chord one, four and five and is instantly recognisable for the long introduction before the opening lyrics. Mark Knopfler, who is one of the greatest guitars the UK has seen, pulled memories of busking in tube stations and references to other famous songs in the lyrics.

This is a cracking tune for this time of year as one of the goals (or resolutions if you believe in punishing yourself) is to get fit and I think what sometimes makes goals happen is the idea that we have to some how punish ourselves in January due to the fun and partying we had in December. A more positive way to look at January goals is about having a long term goal for example, if I start walking more, I will get healthier and fitter and then one day I might be able to walk an incredibly long way for charity. Don't start 2016 with punishment, start it with praise and encouragement to keep going and following dreams; because to make a change in life can be hard, so start the change by making friends with yourself. I really don't like resolutions that make you miserable.

Anyway that's the lecture over with; here's the song
Walk of life by Dire Staits

Written by Mark Knopfler
Album: Brothers in arms
Released: 1985

Song 82 - Pretty good year - Tori Amos

For the third song of this year; I turn to one of my favourite female singers, Tori Amos and her single from her second album; Pretty good year. I think this is the time when people start coming down from new year celebrations and start to reflect on what they want to do for the upcoming year and this song is both uplifting and melancholic in its own right. I think the progression into a new year is both happy and sad for many people and Amos's lyrics fit both moods.

Taken from her album, Under the Pink, it reached number 7 in the UK single chart in March 1994 and was the follow up to Cornflake Girl. Amos's haunting voice and inspired lyrics often created a loving or hating of her work. I love her music and she is one of those artists which I would take a chance on after hearing only a couple of songs. I have actually surprised myself that it has taken me this long to put one of her songs in the jukebox; especially as her first album Little Earthquakes is a classic and probably in my top twenty of favourite albums.

As I was thinking about this blog; I was getting carried away with the idea of using Tori Amos's music as a soundtrack to a Alice in Wonderland type adventure as it has a mysterious quality to it and you could imagine someone exploring other worlds and having Amos's music in the background. There is also a retro aspect to this song as the lyrics And Greg he writes letters and burn his CDs they say you were something in those formative years... Burning CDs is so last century and it is frightened to think how much has changed in terms of technology in my lifetime. Sometimes I feel old, but sometimes I think I've been lucky to witness such a change in technology. Anyway I am beginning to get sidetracked into something else.

So lets get back on track with a listen to the song
Pretty good year by Tori Amos


Written by Tori Amos
Album - Under the Pink, 1994
Performed by Tori Amos 

Song 81 - I'm feeling good by Nina Simone

Usually it is about January 2nd, the haze of celebrating in the new year and the quietness of the 1st day of year is replaced by the newness of the year and what it might be. I'm feeling fine by Nina Simone is a perfect song to be an anthem to the new year goals you may wish to put in place. I don't believe in resolutions but that a whole different blog!

Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse wrote the song for the 1965 Broadway show The roar of the greasepaint - the smell of the crowd. In the musical, the song was sung by Gilbert Price but Nina Simone's version is the most popular version and the most widely known. Due to Nina's own personal life story and her amazing vocal range it is although the song was written for her.

To find inspiration for goals in 2016 listen here;
I'm feeling good by Nina Simone

Written by Anthony Newley and Leslie
Recorded by Nina Simone
Album: I put a spell on you, 1965.

Song 80 - Happy new year by Abba

If music be the food of love, play on and welcome to 2016. An obvious choice for the new year, but sometimes I think this Abba tune is less well known as some of their classic hits. from their Super Trooper album, I grew up with this song and I think it is a good one to start with.

Although recorded in February 1980, this Abba track was not released as a single until 1999 (in the English Language), which explains why it is maybe not as well known.Also, it is a track at the end of Abba domination, which explains the melchonic nature of the lyrics.

Have a listen and see what you think:
Happy new year by Abba


Written by Benny & Bjorn
Albumn: Super Trooper
Released (the album) - 1980.