Monday's Music Moves Me: Grateful

 Thanksgiving is this week! Keeping in that theme today's topic on Monday's Music Moves Me is spelling out GRATEFUL. Well let's get started.

                                                 "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" Bad Company

"Radio Ga Ga" Queen

"All of My Love" Led Zeppelin

"Tears of a Clown" Smokey Robinson and the Miracles 

"Easy Lover" Phillip Bailey, Phil Collins

"Fun, Fun, Fun"  The Beach Boys

"Uncle John's Band"  The Grateful Dead

Love is a Battlefield Pat Benatar

Besides sharing the music feel free to share some of the things you are grateful for in the comments. I'm grateful there is music to share.

Happy Birthday Smokey Robinson!

Today is Smokey Robinson's 76th birthday! I celebrated his 75th birthday last year with this post.  I am also featuring one of his songs in my current Battle of the Bands post. There is still time to vote if you like!

Five years ago, I had the honor of reviewing his performance at the Kennedy Center. It was for a charity event and Robinson still gave a full show. You can read my review here.

Enough about what I've posted, you know my celebrations are all about the music.

Here he is with the Miracles, "You Really Got a Hold of Me"

Elliptical Man posted last year his favorite song from Smokey was "Just to See Her"

I do requests and mentions so feel free to share your Smokey Robinson memories, favorite songs and such in the comments. Here is "Baby Come Close"

Hope you enjoy and I will be back soon!

Battle of the Bands: Cruisin' into Black History Month

February is cruising along. February is Black History month and I am using it for a theme for my Battle of the Bands. I started with the blues and this time I am going to another musical place called Motown.

Smokey Robinson is a legendary singer and songwriter. He was is one of the greatest artist from the Motown era and he has a birthday fast approaching. Obviously he is a great choice to pick a song from since he has a large catalog of songs and he has been covered by many musicians.

The Song: Cruisin'

Smokey Robinson isn't in this competition so please don't vote for him. 

Contender One: D'Angelo

Contender Two: Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis

Who gets your vote? I think they are both great covers. One has two big names, so we have a little bit of a Samson and Goliath thing going on. Names don't matter. Hopefully it is all about the music and who you vote for, I just count them up and provide the results sometime after the 21st. Vote in the comments and we will have a winner soon! Please check out the other Battle links here. That site has the most up to date list.

Well I hope you enjoyed the Battle and come back and visit soon!

Happy Birthday Smokey Robinson!

Today is Smokey Robinson's 76th birthday! There is no better way than to share the music of this incredible singer and songwriter.

Let's go "Cruisin'"...

"The Tracks of My Tears"...

"You Can Depend on Me"...

What's your favorite Smokey Robinson song? What's your favorite Smokey Robinson memory? Please feel free to share.

"Being with You"

I'll be back soon!

Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder!

May 13th is Stevie Wonder's birthday. Hard to believe I haven't celebrated his birthday before on the blog. Winning 25 Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award would suggest Little Stevie Wonder has had a successful career. He has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has received the Medal of Freedom.

A legendary musician and a great person. Of course in this blog we like to celebrate the music.

Here is a song which Stevie Wonder wrote the music (with some other musicians) and Smokey Robinson penned some lyrics..."Tears of a Clown"

Anybody who follows this blog knows Jeff Beck is my favorite guitarist and here he is with Stevie Wonder performing "Superstitious"..

Here is Stevie with Paul McCartney performing "Ebony and Ivory"

One of my favorite songs by Stevie Wonder is "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"

With Stevie Wonder I could post song after song. I could put more collaborations with more artists I like in case Smokey Robinson, Jeff Beck, and Paul McCartney weren't enough. I could just put up his songs and they would be fantastic. To me that is a great artist and I wish him a happy birthday!

Smokey Robinson

My review is finally up so I can blog about it. Yes, I know he is old, but Smokey Robinson is a true legend. I didn't realize how many of the Motown classics he wrote, he really rates up there as a songwriter. He was in town for a benefit concert for the Duke Ellington School. As impressive as Smokey's resume is the school is also very impressive. Several of the school's graduates have gone on to have successful entertainment careers. The kids graduate from that school and go on to have success in other careers as well.

A shining example..

The students opened up and the above, Sylver Logan Sharp appeared with them and sang Smokey' "Since I Lost My Baby."

Robinson's and Motown's music influenced so much of the classic rock I enjoy. I enjoy Motown as well. I think Smokey opened with this just for me, here is the Rolling Stones version,,

Some shows you just don't say know to and Smokey Robinson is one of those. Especially when so many musicians are passing away you never know when you will get another chance. You can read my review here.

Here is Smokey Robinson performing in Washington at another time...

I love all the cool opportunities I have been given lately..