Monday, July 31, 2023

Have I Got a Peace Train Cover For You!

Two random thoughts today. Yeah, I have them all the time. Now that we don't listen to the radio anymore, there's no song that takes over the summer, a song you hear over and over everywhere you go. I clearly remember when Surivior's "Eye of the Tiger" was the summer song heard all around town in 1982 and when Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" was playing everywhere no matter where you went during the summer of 2011. My mother remembers when she immigrated to America from Germany in 1956 to wonder, "Who IS that man singing I hear inside every diner, hardware store, dime store and bakery I enter?" She said she'd be walking past shops with their doors open to hear this same voice playing over a radio. It was Elvis Presley.
 This summer ... there's nothing. Where is THE summer song?

My 2nd random thought is I haven't featured a guilty pleasure playlist or single song in quite a while. The playlists are frustrating because the songs I spotlight often get yanked off of YouTube to leave broken links so it takes the wind out of my sails to do them. But today I'll feature a single guilty pleasure song. Peace Train by Cat Stevens who after converting to Islam changed his name to Yusuf Islam. Released in 1971, the top 10 hit periodically played on Classic Rock radio over the years. Lovely sentiments with a feel-good melody to lift our spirits. I very much like the 1987 cover by the alternate rock band 10,ooo Maniacs also. Their album was produced by Peter Asher, and the band fought against recording the song.
Let's start at the top with the 2021 cover of Peace Train featuring Cat Stevens and 25 musicians from 12 countries around the world recorded for Playing For Change, a multimedia music project. The Playing For Change Foundation aims to inspire and connect the world through music, and to do so, it builds music and art schools for children around the world.

Peace Train is a catchy song many listeners can stand listening to 3 times in a row, and I've uploaded 3 versions. Guaranteed to boost your endorphins and uplift your day. Make it a spectacular one! And who knows, a listen may even momentarily connect us globally to our fellow wo/man? There's nothing wrong with striving and shooting high, right? Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah🎵


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4 comments:

  1. "Replay" buttons are amazing! Have not paid for Youtube, but have dabbled with SeriousXM and Amazon music, as biz models for music have changed. Many radio stations, including oldies, have internet feeds- which I enjoy. I lament the decline of AM radio but can sometimes catch some good stations at night. From NY area, 1070 AM is a good one. Mostly country music on CHOK from Sarnia, Ontario, but every once in a while when the ionosphere (E level, 100+ miles up) is cooperating, "Beach Boogie and Blues" comes in from coastal N Carolina! Carolina Shag dancing music for Yankees like me.

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    1. FYI Barry, I play musc on YouTube for free. But, you do have to tolerate the ads until you do pay for channel.

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    2. I'll have to check out the radio stations you've recommended. I miss the Sunday morning talk radio shows by the music experts who knew the history behind the music.

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  2. Also- on 840AM, WHAS- from Louisville. Good signal most nights on dinosaur AM radios!!!

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