please help me restock my internal jukebox

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I'm a little burned out on things that are musically progressive/technologically whiz-bang/"revolutionary" (for any reason)/difficult and alienating/brand-stinkin' new and culturally relevant. I love all that stuff, mind you; it accounts for a huge part of my record collection and I'm not hatin' on it in any way.

I just need a break from it.

Please recommend some classic, beautiful, simple songs (preferably pre-1980). Country, jazz standards, folk, soul, AM-Gold pop... I wanna hear your suggestions.

― Jody Beth Rosen, Monday, 2 September 2002 07:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Reggae, too.

― Jody Beth Rosen, Monday, 2 September 2002 07:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Robert Wyatt's version of Shipbuilding always does it for me, and I never even have to play a CD - it's always there.

― tigerclawskank, Monday, 2 September 2002 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

this might sound like an odd suggestion but yesterday I watched this Bollywood movie called Aar Paar from 1954 (a romantic comedy). The dance routines weren't so annoying as the usual bollywood crap but there was one particurlar song which was great, it had hawaiian guitar as part of the arrangement, and the song's lyrics and delivery were genuinely funny (the story is abt a taxi driver who falls in love with a middle class indian girl, there's some mob stuff in there but I didn't watch it from the beginning). There were other songs though they weren't as good as that one.

so if you can find the soundtrack album don't forget to give me a copy heh...

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 2 September 2002 07:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Jody have you listened to Ron Sexsmiths, "Blue Boy"?
The most enjoyable "classic, beautiful, simple songs" relaeased last year IMHO.

― Kiwi, Monday, 2 September 2002 08:15 (twenty-two years ago)

On a Wyatt tip, Matching Mole's O Caroline. Other things that come to mind are Bread's It Don't Matter To Me and Astrud Gilberto's version of In The Wee Small Hours.

― Damian (Damian), Monday, 2 September 2002 08:42 (twenty-two years ago)

First ten off the top of my head that may fit the bill. Would be a completely different list another time:

Our Prayer - The Beach Boys
Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire - Joni Mitchell
How Long Has This Been Going On? - Carmen McRae
Kites Are Fun - The Free Design
It's Four In The Morning - Faron Young
Blind Alley - The Emotions
Good Thing Going - Sugar Minott
Behind A Painted Smile - Isley Brothers
After The Goldrush - Prelude
Darling Be Home Soon - The Lovin' Spoonful

― zebedee, Monday, 2 September 2002 09:40 (twenty-two years ago)

townes van zandt's 'drama falls like teardrops' (if you can find it). all the hits plus some serviceable live stuff over two cds. uncomplicated tunes, beautifully written and beautifully sung. makes gram parsons sound like a rank amateur (which takes a bit of doing, imho).

― angelo (angelo), Monday, 2 September 2002 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

...another Free Design - My Brother Woody
Feminine Complex - Forgetting
Wendy & Bonnie - I Realised you
Margo Guryan - Thoughts (demo LP)
Doris Day - Move Over Darling
The Flamingoes - I Only Have Eyes...
Spanky & Our Gang - If You Could Only Be Me...sort of west coast Seekers sound.

― Jez, Monday, 2 September 2002 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

A good combination of "beautiful, simple songs" + Reggae would be some John Holt -- '1000 Volts of Holt' has recently been reissued with heaps of bonus tracks... and it's probably just what you're after.

― Enid Roach (Enid Roach), Monday, 2 September 2002 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Buy Fred Astaire's Top Hat: Hits from Hollywood at the Tower on 4th & Broadway. You won't be sorry.

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 2 September 2002 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I love the Free Design, I love Robert Wyatt, and I was just thinking about Fred Astaire last night, matter o' fact. Good choices.

― Jody Beth Rosen, Monday, 2 September 2002 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Some off the top of my head, mostly unimpeachable classics:
Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Shirelles
almost any of the Shangri-Las singles
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Al Green
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Casinos
Walking Up A One-Way Street - Willie Tee
Many Rivers To Cross - Jimmy Cliff
Mmmbop - Hanson (I know it's modern, but it's set to be a jukebox classic)
I'm A Believer - Monkees
This Old Heart Of Mine - Isley Brothers
Reason To Believe - Rod Stewart
Penguin At The Big Apple/Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart - Trammps
Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
Love Is Overdue - Gregory Isaacs
Funny How Time Slips Away - Willie Nelson
Tracks Of My Tears - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Home Of The Brave - Bonnie and the Treasures
Nobody's Baby Now - Reparata and the Delrons
Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody - Louis Prima
Jolene - Dolly Parton
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams
God Only Knows - Beach Boys

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 2 September 2002 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Here's what I've been playing today:

"Shipbuilding" - Elvis Costello and Robert Wyatt versions
"Jolene" - Dolly Parton
"Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" - Bob Dylan
"It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" - Robyn Hitchcock
"Tchaikovsky Valse Sentimentale" - Clara Rockmore
"New Age" (Le Bataclan, 1972) - Lou Reed
Dancer With Bruised Knees - Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Stephen Foster Songbook - Robert Shaw Chorale
"Pretty Polly" - Byrds
"Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" - Elizabeth Cotten
"A Couple of Swells" - Judy Garland and Fred Astaire
"You Could Be Born Again" - Free Design
"When I Was the Freeport and You Were the Main Drag" - Laura Nyro
"Jill of All Trades" - Liquorice (one of Jenny Toomey's bands)
"Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" - Beach Boys (vocals-only version from The Pet Sounds Sessions)

― Jody Beth Rosen, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I quite like the Hustle! Disco Reggae comp I got. Very niiiiiice. All covers redone in a Rare Groove/Dance Hall whatever you call it style.

― nathalie (nathalie), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 04:13 (twenty-two years ago)

schooldays - kate & anna mcgarrigle & friends
rock your baby - george mcrae
me & mrs. jones - billy paul
couldn't i just tell you - todd rundgren
maybe - the chantels
the pied piper - billy & marcia
til my back ain't got no bone - esther phillips
king midas in reverse - the hollies
spooky - classix IV

― lauren, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"Everything I Own" - esp. Ken Boothe's take, tho Bread is of course un impeachable.

Girl I know says she would always wake up to her father's blaring "Is That All There Is?" by Peggy Lee on his jukebox. That's pretty hot.

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Jorge Ben: anything he recorded in the 1960s or 1970s. I'll make you a tape.
Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove
XTC: White Music, Drums and Wires
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um, Oh Yeah
I second the Hank Williams nod upstairs, but extend that to include the 2-disc best of. Damm that's hott.
The Chi-Lites: Greatest Hits. Amazing Chicago soul, both profound ("Have You Seen Her," "We Are Neighbors") and corny ("Homely Girl," "Let Me Be the Man My Daddy Was"). Absolutely from the heart, hit or miss style.

― Matt C., Wednesday, 4 September 2002 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

XTC: Drums and Wires
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um

Two of my favorite albums EVER EVER EVER.

I second the Hank Williams nod upstairs, but extend that to include the 2-disc best of

Which one? There are a lot of Hank Williams best-ofs floating around.

I'm going to respond to my own question by recommending Louis Jordan's "What's the Use of Getting Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again)." OH YEAH.

― Jody Beth Rosen, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

JBR: All you really need in re: Hank is 40 Greatest Hits, the PolyGram collection. But you can always go bigger than that. Whole lotta Hank out there.
I wrote about that Mingus album in the Popmatters "favorite album" thing. What did you pick, finally?
Oh, and I also wanted to say--like I'm not already becoming known as the big Stevie Wonder whore--that all Stevie albums from Music of My Mind straight through until Hotter Than July are pretty damned great and have all saved my bacon on many occasions.

― Matt C., Wednesday, 4 September 2002 01:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I wrote about that Mingus album in the Popmatters "favorite album" thing. What did you pick, finally?

I'm not telling.

― Jody Beth Rosen, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

O thou tease.

― Matt C., Wednesday, 4 September 2002 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

of the top of my head:

"wichita lineman"/"by the time i get to phoenix" glenn campbell; "at last i'm free" chic; "girl, you need a change of mind" eddie kendricks; "in the stone" earth, wind & fire; "northern sky" nick drake; "introducing the strands"(lp) michael head & the strands; "when did you stop loving me, when did i stop loving you?" marvin gaye; "can't smile without you" barry manilow.

― michael w., Wednesday, 4 September 2002 06:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Sunday morning 6 AM...

The Stylistics "people make the world go round"
Scott Walker "on your own again"
Frank Sinatra "bonita"
The Specials "you're wondering now"
Rose Royce "wishing on a star"
The Fall "bill is dead"
Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin "bonnie and clyde"
Nat King Cole "around the world"
Undisputed Truth "take a vacation from life"
Nina Simone "don't smoke in bed"
Beach Boys "til i die"

― tacit, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

the carpenters - "we´re only just begun" or any earl carpenters
roger nichols & the small circle of friends - "don´t go breaking my heart"
jackson browne / nico - "these days"
augustus pablo - "east of river nile"
paris sisters - "i love how you love me"
nick drake - "time as told me"

― Jens (brighter), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The entire Rockpile album Seconds of Pleasure (1980) is unimpeachable AM-Gold pop, as is a lot of early Nick Lowe in general (e.g. "the Rose of England"), even if post-1980.

― felicity (felicity), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

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