Music to Skate By #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday morning, the Olympics are ongoing, and it's time for Music Moves Me.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly.  (She has been a bit under the weather, but will be rejoining us as soon as she can.  Hoping it is today, but if not, please get better soon!) Her co-hosts are: Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, and me.  

We'd love more music lovers to join us.  It's easy! All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video (there must be a music video).

Each month, except December, we have a guest conductor. For the month of February, we again welcome Songbird from Songbird's Crazy World.  Today, she has selected the theme "Freedom of Choice Day - You Pick".

After several days of watching figure skating/ice dancing, I decided to feature several songs the skaters/dancers competed to this Olympics.

Turns out that music choices aren't an easy process for skaters.  Many factors go into the final music the skater/their coaches pick. Does it suit the skater's style? Does it work with the choreography of the routine, given that these ice competitions are as much artistry as athletic.  Also, until about eight years ago, only ice dancers (not figure skaters) could choose songs with lyrics.

The song performances I've chosen aren't necessarily what the skaters skated to, given time and other constraints (or me liking a different version better).

First up - Joe Cocker and his cover of  INXS' "Never Tear Us Apart", chosen by Keegan Messing, who skated for Canada.

A version of "Paint It, Black" by the London Symphony Orchestra was used by China's Yi Zhu in her short program.  Again, I'm posting the original and I hope one of my readers, a Rolling Stones fan, enjoys this.  Actually, I like many Rolling Stones songs, too.

 

A cover of The Long and Winding Road was chosen by Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.  I chose the original by The Beatles because I promised one of my readers I would.

Elton John's music was performed at least three times.  "Your Song" by Elton John was the choice of Japan's Wakaba Higuchi.  In the men's freeskate competition, American Nathan Chen picked a melody of music from the movie Rocketman, and Elton John expressed his appreciation.  I decided to post Chen's performance so you could hear the exact music played at the Olympics (the actual performance ends at about 4:37 so this isn't as long as it seems.)

This song was Switzerland's entry in the 2021 Eurovision contest.  Gjon'sTears and Tout l'univers and was skated to by Morisi Kvitelashvili, skating for Georgia.

Finally, Eliska Brezinova of the Czech Republic used a cover of The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by various artists for her short program.  I am using the original.

And that's an icy wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.