Plas Johnson #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music! I also apologize for the assortment of font sizes.  I don't know why this is happening but, not knowing html, I can't seem to fix it.  Anyway...

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "You Pick".  So, sadly, it is time for another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.  Today we celebrate jazz musician Plas Johnson, who passed away July 15 at the age of 94, six days before his 95th birthday.  This talented musician played flute, clarinet , tuba, and saxophone.  He started out, as a youngster, singing with his father's family music group and, when given a soprano saxophone as a gift from his father (a professional saxophone player) taught himself to play it. 

You can find out more about his career, and listen to some of his jazz pieces at this site. 

He was perhaps known for his sax sol in 1963's Pink Panther Theme.  He performed on several other movie soundtracks and a number of rock songs (some of which I feature below).

Johnson was a session musician for over 20 years.  Here are some of the songs you can hear him on.

Help Me Rhonda - Beach Boys, from 1963, with Johnson on tenor saxophone.

1966's Wouldn't It Be Nice - Beach Boys, from the iconic album Pet Sounds. Johnson also played tenor sax here.

The Platters - The Great Pretender, 1955, with Johnson on tenor sax.

Lowdown - Boz Scaggs from 1976.  Johnson on tenor sax and contributed to the horn section.

Aja - Steely Dan from 1977, with Johnson on flute and tenor sax.

And that's a wrap! But first a bonus track:  The Pink Panther Theme. Note, you will have to go to You Tube (following link within the video) to play this. 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Hot Summer Music And Another Induction #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "In ancient times, “Dog Days of Summer” was connected with bad luck, mad dog attacks, unexpected thunderstorms, heat, and drought.  These days gained the “Dog Days” name because they are connected with a star in the Canis Major (Greater Dog) star system known as Sirius. Nowadays, “Dog Days of Summer” is associated for summer’s long hot days. Based on these interesting tidbits use your imagination to find music that’ll make us howl on the dance floor!"

Summer always makes me think of several songs dating back from my New York City Childhood.  I've had them on my blog before but I hope you enjoy them as reruns.  But before I do, it's time for another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.

Freddie "Boom Boom? Cannon died July 17 at the age of 89.   

I best knew him for his 1962 hit Palisades Park.  Palisades Amusement Park was a now-closed amusement park in New Jersey, which I went to several times growing up in New York City. They were famous for a huge salt water pool and their musical entertainment, which included famous Big Bands, and, in the rock era, the Four Seasons, Bill Haley & the Comets, the Jackson Five, Diana Ross & the Supremes and yes, Freddie Cannon .  The property is now occupied by high-rise condominiums but New Yorkers of my age fondly remember it. 

Nothing says "summer" like amusement parks for many people. 

N

His first hit was Tallahassee Lassie". 

And now, to our theme.

Summer in the City - a 1966 hit for The Lovin' Spoonful. 

Dancing in the Street - a 1964 hit for Martha and the Vandellas.

Two more, from the 1970s:

 Hot Summer Nights - Walter Egan, best known here for his 1978 hit Magnet and Steel. 

I almost didn't include this, as I'll bet others include it, but here's a song from the movie Grease, Summer Nights, sung by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.  This was a big hit in the summer of 1978.

Tell me more?  No, I'm fresh out of words. 

And that's a wrap!

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

A Total Eclipse of My Heart #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "You Pick" .  

It's my sad duty to conduct another set of inductions into Rock and Roll Heaven. 

Bonnie Tyler, Welsh musician, passed away July 8 after having been in a medically induced coma after emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal back on May 6.  She was expected to recover but it was not to be.    Tyler had a long musical career, including three Grammy Award nominations.

These are the three songs I know from her.

1983's power anthem Total Eclipse of the Heart was Tyler's biggest hit in the United States and I have to admit, as a total eclipse of the sun watcher (three successfully, one unsuccessfully) that this song has been played to death in connection with eclipse coverage.  As for me, I never tire of it.

1984's Holding Out for a Hero, from the Footloose movie soundtrack, subsequently was covered in at least two other movies, Shrek 2 and The Super Mario Bros. movie.

Finally from 1978, It's a  Heartache, was subsequently covered by Rod Stewart. For this tribute, though, I am using Tyler's original.

My next induction is for someone who died way too young.  Lauren Bennett, singer most famous for being included in Party Rock Anthem, died May 29 at the age of 36, but her passing was just recently announced.  Sadly, she had suffered from mental health issues and her father claims she never got the proper help. She leaves a six year old daughter. 

 I loved Party Rock Anthem.  Years ago I took water Zumba classes and nearly every session, we danced to this song.  Here is LMFAO, feat. Lauren Bennett. 

Finally, Paul Wheatbread,  the original drummer for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, died July 6 at the age of 80.  Causes of death were Alzheimer's and complications of kidney failure.   Here is their hit "Over You" from 1968.

So many heartaches recently, as the rock musicians of my youth and young adulthood pass away. 

And that's a wrap!

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

Space Music #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "Around the globe early July, World UFO Day is observed. Prompts this week you might consider is anything space related – stars, aliens, spaceships, galaxy, …. Get out of this world wild while having loads of fun discovering music to share!

Let's start with the original Star Trek series, that first aired in 1966 and was on for three seasons.  My childhood was filled with the United States space program, even watching manned launches on television.  I was reading science fiction by the time I was 10.  I was more than ready for Star Trek .

Theme song to the original Star Trek series, 1968 version. 

 Theme to the Star Wars movies.   I saw the first movie with my spouse and a friend in a theater in 1977.

Next, here is a song actually sung in space: David Bowie's Space Oddity, covered by Canadian astronaut and International Space Station  commander Chris Hadfield in 2013.  OK, he's not David Bowie, but this video is a must-see. 

Major Tom (Coming Home), a 1983 sort-of sequel, from Peter Schilling (English version).  I never realized until reaching another music post that this was originally released in West Germany in 1982 as "Major Tom (völlig losgelöst), which means "fully detached".

Europe - The Final Countdown, from 1986. 

Under the Milky Way - The Church, from 1988.   Not about space, but I don't care.

Finally, from 1977, Come Sail Away-Styx, a song that takes a sudden science-fiction-y turn towards the end when we realize it's a first contact song.

And that's a wrap!

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

Clive Davis and David Clayton-Thomas #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, and it's time for music.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "You Pick".  

It's time for another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.  Actually, two.

Clive Davis died  at home on June 22 at the age of 94.  He was not a performer but, instead, he had the ability to pick out future music superstars, sign them to recording contracts, and suggest songs or changes in music.  He was a music executive for several record companies.  I may never have heard of him except for a couple of episodes of American Idol years ago, where he worked with Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Fantasia as they were being discovered by the American public,  He was also a record producer who won four  Grammy Awards. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. 

One of his four children is also a Grammy Award-winning record producer.

Here are some of the artists Clive Davis signed or recommended be signed with the labels he worked for: Billy Joel. Aretha Franklin.  Santana. Janis Joplin/Big Brother and the Holding Company,  Blood, Sweat and Tears, Bruce Springsteen.  Chicago. Aerosmith.  Earth, Wind and Fire.  Alicia Keyes. Whitney Houston. 

One of those bands, Blood, Sweat and Tears (BS&T), was discovered by Davis when they were fronted by Al Kooper.  But, due to infighting, the band broke up.  Kooper left.  As the band's drummer tried to reunite the band, the drummer heard a singer performing at a New York City club.  That singer was David Clayton-Thomas, who joined the reformed BS&T as their new lead singer.

Davis then encouraged well, pushed) BS&T towards a more commercial sound, and they were on their way to a few years of success.  But by 1972, Thomas left the group and went on to other projects.   In 1996, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

David Clayton-Thomas, aged 84, died June 24 from complications of cancer.

My tribute pick is obvious:  Blood, Sweat and Tears' cover of Laura Nyro's And When I Die.

Now, back to Clive Davis.

How about some Billy Joel?  A live performance of the song Captain Jack which became a local Philadelphia radio hit in 1972 caught the attention of Davis and the rest is history. This is the recording and I hope you can access it (you will have to do it directly from You Tube so here's a direct link:  https://youtu.be/-aMs0AlE3S8?si=tSf9H3oSIoD7K5Pp).  Captain Jack, incidentally, was based on a real heroin dealer and this may not be one to play around youngsters.

Davis recommended that country singer Lynn Anderson release a song called Rose Garden as a single in 1970.  It became a huge crossover hit for her.

One of the executives Davis hired was a young musician by the name of Tony Orlando, who was signed by Davis when Orlando was 16.  This was his first hit, from 1961, a song called Halfway to Paradise, a song co-written by Carole King.

In turn, Orlando signed a musician you may have heard of - Barry Manilow. His first hit was a song called Mandy. 

Finally, there was Whitney Houston.  Rather than her first 1985 hit, I am picking  I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) from 1987.

And that's another sad tribute wrap.

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

Tennis and Another Induction #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

 

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "Wimbledon kicks off soon. Let a tennis star, the game, England, or traditions guide you in your music discovery picks!" 

As for my tennis memories, I have never played it.  I did play some badminton back in college but not for long-I was never athletic. Instead, I picked some songs about memories of the "old days".

First, though, it is my sad duty to blog another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven. I would like to start slightly off-theme with a tribute to Walter Parazaider, a founding member of the group Chicago, dead from complications of Alzheimers at the age of 81. 

Parazaider specialized in a number of instruments, including sax (alto, tenor and soprano), clarinet, and flute, and also sang backup vocals.  He had retired from the group in 2017.  In this first song from 1975, Old Days, Parazaider played clarinet. 

When I think of Parazaider, I think of this flute solo in the song Color My World. This is a live performance at Tanglewood from 1970.   Parazaider plays sax in the other song on this live video, Make Me Smile.

I couldn't help but post this tennis cover of Chicago's Hard To Say I'm Sorry by a group of tennis players called the Federer Backhand Boys.The singers are pro tennis players Grigor Dimitrov, Tommy Haas and Roger Federer just having a little fun.  They will never win a Grammy for this but who cares?

How about this tennis related song sung at the end of a 30 Rock episode? (30 Rock was an American sitcom satirical show on from 2006 to 2013). It's Tennis Night in America!

The theme song from the 1970's show All in the Family, sung by Carol O'Conner and Jean Stapleton.  This is the complete version, with some lyrics not politically correct today. 

A song about England?  My pick is The Kinks with The Village Green Preservation Society, from 1968. I just love the lyrics, so I chose a lyrics version.

And that's a wrap!

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

Unforgettable #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!  

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "You Pick" and I'm going to pick several songs that I heard recently, and a couple I didn't.  No, you don't have to guess which is which.

Elton John and his 1975 hit Philadelphia Freedom, written in honor of tennis great Billie Jean King. 

Unforgettable, from Nat King and Natalie Cole, was a duet made possible by the technology of 1991.  Here, Natalie Cole sings her late father's 1961 hit as a duet with her late father, who died from cancer in 1965.  Natalie was just 15 years old.  Who can listen to this without a tissue or a tear?

Let's lighten it up with Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi, from 1986, their breakout hit.  And what a hit it was.  This is one of my favorite songs.

Shake it Off - Taylor Swift 

I'll end this with 1970's So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright, a song written by Paul Simon and sung by Simon and Garfunkel. The song was written as a tribute to Art Garfunkel, who studied architecture in his youth.  I love every song on this album (which I owned on vinyl) but this one has a special spot in my heart.

And that's a wrap!  Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me. 

And, if you like flowers, join me again later today for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. 

Music of the Parks #MusicMovesMe

 It's Sunday, and it's time for music! 

 

 I'm posting a little early this week.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is  "June boasts the most daylight hours. Share music about long sunny days. Express yourself in song however this prompt moves you! "

How about a visit to local parks, or somewhere you can appreciate the warm weather, the clouds, and other things. I grew up in an apartment building in the Bronx (a borough of New York City) and we did not have a terrace. We didn't have a backyard.  Or a car.  But we did have our parks. 

The first song that came to mind is Grazing in the Grass from the Friends of Distinction.  Can you dig it? (oh, that outdated slang in the song, but it's still a nice, mellow song).

Here's another song you can dig, so to speak.  Saturday in the Park was a hit for the group Chicago in 1972, but I am going to use the cover from Leonid and Friends.  To me, Leonid and Friends covers sometimes outdoes the Chicago originals.

The Cowsills and their 1967 song The Rain, the Park and Other Things (which enough people think is named I Love the Flower Girl) was a part of the Summer of Love.  Here's a live performance of the remaining Cowsills from 2025 including that song and Indian Lake, another one of their hits. 

I have to include one Beatles song:  Strawberry Fields Forever, not because it's about New York City's Strawberry Fields area of Central Park, but, rather, the innocence of childhood and John Lennon escaping into the gardens of a local children's home with friends to find peace.  As you may have guessed, the Strawberry Fields of Central Park was created as a tribute to the late John Lennon, who lived close by at the time of his assassination, dedicated in 1985 to his memory.

And that's a wrap!

I may be late getting to you this week, but I will get to you.  Thank you for your patience and enjoy the music! 

Numbers #MusicMovesMe

 It's Monday, it's the first of June and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "You Pick"

Yesterday was one of those days.  Unexpected things, and I didn't get time to myself until after 4pm.  So I'm going with a song that's been stuck in my head for a couple of days now.  I don't even know why, except for seeing Paul McCartney on a couple of TV shows recently.  He didn't even perform this song but, instead, another one from the same album.

I happen to love this song Paul did with Wings in 1973:  Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five. This is possibly my favorite McCarney/Wings song except maybe for Live and Let Die.

So I decided to go with songs that have numbers in the title. 

Dolly Parton and 9 to 5 from 1980-81.

Stevie Nicks and Edge of Seventeen, also from 1981.

I will take the last two songs from my childhood. First, Love Potion #9. from the Clovers.  Yes, I know one of the words in this song is considered offensive, but it wasn't back in 1959.

Let's wrap it up with the Vogues and their 1965 hit Five O'Clock World.

And yes, that's a wrap!

Join me again next week (it may be a Sunday post as it will be a busy week for me) for another episode of Music Moves Me.

BBQ Music #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

 

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "In the US, May is National Barbecue month.  It’s time to go hog wild! Share music that make you think of a great cook out." 

I saw this as two ways to go.  One way, is songs mentioning barbecue, or, as many of us write it, BBQ.  I've lived in several parts of the United States, and have experienced some of the various interpretations of what a sauce should consist of.

The BBQ Song from  Rhett and Link gives us a rundown of those variations.

A favorite food at many BBQ's is sausage.  Or, in our area, white hots.  In many other places, hot dogs.

Next up is Hot Dog from Led Zeppelin from 1979, and it's not about the food.  Fun fact,  the album this came from (In Through the Out Door) is my favorite Led Zeppelin song. 

Cheeseburger in Paradise - Jimmy Buffett because there is nothing like hearing Jimmy Buffett music at a BBQ. 

BBQ's are all about having a fun time. From Ray Stevens, Barbeque. 

As for the music, let's listen...Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers 

Finally, let's end this virtual BBQ with Whisker Brothers and Good Ol' BBQ.

Well, not so fast.  Today, in the United States is Memorial Day, a day that was originally intended to honor the war dead of our 1861-1865 Civil War.  Originally called Decoration Day, this holiday evolved into honoring the war dead of all wars.  Sadly, this holiday has also evolved into a major shopping day.

So I will end this with a song from Freda Payne, Bring the Boys Home, from 1971.  That was our wish then as it is now.

And that's a wrap! 

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

 

Tributes and Eurovision Song Contest #MusicMovesMe

 It's Monday, and it's time for music!

 

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "You Pick". Any music counts.

Before I get into the Eurovision Song Contest, I've been featuring too many inductions into Rock and Roll Heaven in recent months.  So,  I wanted to pay a quick tribute to two musicians who passed away this May.

First, Dennis Locorriere, lead vocalist for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, died May 16 at the age of 76, from complications of kidney disease.  Here is Dr. Hook's hit Cover of the Rolling Stone done live in 1980.

Clarence Carter, R&B singer, songwriter and producer,  died May 13 at the age of 90.  Carter had two (I believe) mainstream hits, but other songs were considered too ribald for mainstream music stations.  He may have been best known for Patches and this song from 1968, Slip Away.

And now for the Eurovision Song Contest.  Saturday, the finals were held in Vienna, Austria. This contest is a big event for a lot of the  world but I think a lot of Americans still have not heard of it.   

As I blogged in 2022:

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual contest which originated in the aftermath of World War II, when Europe was struggling to recover from the horrors of World War II.  The idea was for various European countries to cooperate with each other "through cross-border TV broadcasts". The contest started in 1956, based on an Italian music festival,  with seven countries participating, and has expanded into the largest world music event there is.

Until last year, I had no idea that the singers Celene Dion and the group ABBA, among others got their start from Eurovision.  I was aware that Riverdance had its start as the "interval" act in 1994. (An interval act performs after the last act in the final during the tallying of the votes, and some of these acts have won their own brand of fame. Additionally, I learned a new word, too, because "intervals" are what we Americans call "intermission" in an event.) 

Winners do not get cash prizes, but they do get the Crystal Microphone trophy, and (best of all, perhaps) exposure.  Also, with a couple of exceptions, the host country for the following year is the country that won the year before.

I was introduced to the Eurovision Song Contest several years by a fellow participant in Music Moves Me.  This is the 2026 winning song from DARA, with Bulgaria's entry, Bangaranga. It's catchy and it would be a great song for an exercise class.  It's already getting millions of listeners on social media.

You have heard some of the songs of the Eurovision Song Contest, even if you think you haven't.  Previous winners have included Céline Dion , Lulu (of To Sir with Love fame, but not with that song), and Brotherhood of Man. (Save Your Kisses for Me).

Here are the performances of two  previous winners.  First, from 1974, perhaps the most famous Eurovision Song Contest performance:  Waterloo, by ABBA, competing for Sweden. 

 Finally, in  1997, Katrina and the Waves. won with Love Shine a Light, competing for the U.K.

And that's a wrap!

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

Horses and Ponies #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us? 

Our optional theme for this week is:  "May 11th Kentucky Derby has long been hosted this month since 1875. This event has a long history of traditions. Use some of the traditions or gallop with the ponies in your own direction sharing your song inspired picks this week."

There are quite a number of songs mentioning horses or ponies.  Many times the horses/ponies symbolize freedom or connection.  Other times, they are songs about....horses.  There are a lot of playlists online for the Kentucky Derby but I decided to go my own way. I grew up in New York City and, while I never got into horses, my best friend did. (Yes, there are ways to learn to ride a horse in New York City.)

Rolling Stones - Wild Horses, recorded in 1969 and released in 1971.

From 1975, Wildfire, Michael Martin Murphey, a song about a girl and her horse, based on a legend about a ghost horse told to Murphey by his grandfather, combined with a dream Murphey had once.

The older I get, the more I get into the great songwriter and singer Willie Nelson.   Ride Me Back Home is a song from 2019 about rescuing horses.

One Trick Pony, a 1980 hit for Paul Simon.

Couldn't resist this; the theme song from a childhood TV show.

Finally, My Old Kentucky Home is traditionally sung by the crowd each year before the Kentucky Derby.  This was recorded in 2024 at the 150th Kentucky Derby.

And that's a wrap!

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

Feelin' Alright? #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music. Sadly, it's also time for another induction (actually, three inductions) into Rock and Roll Heaven.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme for this week is "you pick".

Dave Mason, a founding member of the group Traffic, died on April 19 at the age of 79.  He was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. 

Here is one of his songs with Traffic:  Feelin' Alright? performed by Traffic.  You may recognize it from a cover by Joe Cocker in 1969.

Dave Mason also enjoyed a solo career.  This is a 1977 hit from Mason:  We Just Disagree. 

Nedra (I've also seen it spelled Niedra) Yvonne Talley-Ross, last surviving member of the Ronettes, also died on April 27 at the age of 80.

Here is their hit song Be My Baby. 

Country singer/songwriter David Allan Coe died April 30 at the age of 86.  Some of the hits he wrote are known even by non-country music fans, such as Johnny Paycheck's 1977 hit Take This Job and Shove It. 

Finally, because this is (the way we write dates in the United States) May the 4th, we informally are celebrating May The Fourth be With You, so I can't resist this Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band theme.  Enjoy!

And that's a wrap! 

Oh, wait.  One more thing.  How am I feeling?  All right? Actually, tired, after a month of daily blogging in April.  But now, I am going to return to my normal Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday schedule, except for tomorrow.

If you followed the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I invite you to tune in tomorrow for my Reflections post.

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

Winter #AtoZChallenge #MusicMovesMe

Today, two memes for the price of one.  First, W day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, followed by Music Moves Me (linkup is at the bottom of this post). 

Winter.  It's a large part of our lives where I live in the Southern Tier of New York.  Some people like it.  I am not one of them.

I am so happy that spring has finally come, but perhaps we would not appreciate spring so much if we didn't have winter.  So here are some photos of our winter. Several are from my guest photographer, who has a DSLR, and lives out in the country.  Me, I'm more small city, and I use an iPhone.

A flower garden sleeps.

No picnic today.

Ice on the river.

Trees sleep and ice takes over.
 

My guest photographer: rural New York State winter scene.

My guest photographer: a heron she named Harriet. 

My guest photographer: Duck and ice.

Now, it's time for Music, as I join the Music Moves Me bloggers. We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie, and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  Why not join us?  Our optional theme for this week is "America’s favorite past time for many starts up again for professional baseball players.  You don’t have to be a fan but it could be fun to pick songs that include the teams’ mascot. Stretch this prompt to fit your play set however you want!" but I am going to choose Songs beginning with W as my theme because I accidentally did the official theme several weeks ago.

From 1969, Blood, Sweat and Tears and Sometimes in Winter.

2004's Wizards of Winter from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 

Finishing with 1967's Wintertime Love from The Doors. 

And that's a wrap! 

W day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme "Beauty of our Land".

 Music Moves Me - here are the participating blogs.  If you have at least one song to share, why not join us?