Running a bit behind, but as I get to the final stretch of my new music blog, in the words of Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold, "We're going to press on...…".
NO NBC 'LOVE' FOR DARLENE: We are, of course firmly in the holiday season and just flip on the television and between all the commercials, specials and movies that are around, you can't avoid the season. And, for my part, for the tenth year in a row, I am counting down my top holiday/Christmas songs on my Facebook timeline. Radio stations are playing all those songs to death (and they have been, in some cases, since before Halloween. What's cool about this is that songs that were seasonal favorites, both old and new, unlike regular radio, are played alongside each other, from the early classics of the 1940's right up to the present day (and I have to admit, there are some cool, current and recent songs).
Naturally, when you think of holiday favorites, you think of male singers like Bing Crosby and Perry Como. Both of these crooners have, at one time or another, had the title of "Mr. Christmas", especially Crosby. He has definitely left his mark, and take on many classics like "White Christmas", "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas", "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" (with David Bowie); "Do You Hear What I Hear?", and several others. You can probably add Andy Williams, Nat "King" Cole, and Dean Martin to that list as well. Heck, even Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley as well.
But, so much for the "old boys club". What about the female singers? Brenda Lee, of course comes to mind every time you hear "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"; it's been around since, like forever, and the scene in Home Alone when Kevin tries to make the house look like there's a party going on, in order to discourage the "wet bandits" from robbing the house, is classic. Then, of course, Mariah Carey's more modern classic "All I Want For Christmas Is You", and relatively recent songs by Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson, Sia, Katy Perry and many others.
Who is the greatest of them, that deserves the title "Ms. Christmas"? None of the above. And apparently NBC doesn't care at all.
As I mentioned last week, the annual "Christmas at Rockefeller Center" tree lighting takes place the Wednesday night after Thanksgiving, and NBC---whose studio's at "30 Rock" which towers above the Plaza, televises the three lighting for three hours, with musical guests and performances, usually by current artists, but with classic ones as well, before lighting the tree just before 10 PM. For example, this year we had two coaches from the network music competition The Voice perform separately---John Legend and Gwen Stefani----plus the classic jazz-rock band Chicago, Also performing were Ne-Yo, Lea Michele, Idina Menzel, Jon Bon Jovi, Straight No Chaser, Brett Eldridge, Derek and Julianne Hough, and a few others.
 |
| Legendary singer Darlene Love, still going strong at 78, has been repeatedly snubbed by the producers of the annual Rockefeller Center tree lighting, telecast each year by NBC. |
Okay, let's get to the point! Where was Darlene Love?
If you had to choose the greatest female singer of all time, when it comes to the holiday season, Darlene wins hands down. She is responsible for some of the best holiday classics of all time. Her song, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a standard for the ages, and has grown in staturepretty much each year in spite of it coming out in 1963. That song was from the Phil Spector-produced 1963 set, A Christmas Gift For You, and also includes her "Marshmallow World", and her take on "Winter Wonderland". She is also featured prominently in the video for her song "All Alone For Christmas" which is from the 1992 sequel, "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York". She is still active, mostly during the holiday season, but year-around as well. At 78, she is still going strong.
But to be honest, she deserves a lot more respect than what she's been getting. Her recordings on the Phil Spector-produced 'wall of sound' often shadowed her singing, but she proved resilient. Plus, she sang lead on songs billed to other artists, such as "He's a Rebel", credited to The Crystals, but that's Darlene singing lead. Chart-wise, her highest Billboard charting song "Wait 'til My Bobby Gets Home", from 1963, only made it to number #26. "Christmas" (Baby Please Come Home" got to #43 that same year.
But it's her live performances that have made her legendary. But sadly, NBC doesn't think so.
Seems that Ms. Love has been snubbed year after year for the network's annual tree lighting special. She has complained that she has been rebuffed in favor of the younger performing artists. In a recent article, she was quoted as saying "Once again I was snubbed by Brad Lachman Productions who produce the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and instead book another artist to perform my song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)".
She continued: "They book these young artists who can't even hit the notes properly and are off-key. That makes no sense!! That's my song, and I'm still alive! Show me some respect!". She went on to say that she had been trying to get booked for the last ten years and was told that she would be allowed only if performers like Bette Midler or Bruce Springsteen would perform it with her.
The song was performed this year by two stars of the upcoming NBC series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, so it's obvious that the network was pretty much self-serving.
"This business can be so unfair at times", she continued. "Don't get me wrong. I'm truly blessed for what I have accomplished at 78 years of age, but its still a constant struggle to stay relevant and convince those control the industry that I'm worth it".
She had performed the song every year on David Letterman's late night shows for 29 years, including when he had the Late Night show in NBC. And of course, her concerts have been legendary, many friends of mine have seen her perform live in recent years.
In my opinion, there is no excuse not to have her perform. Mariah performed "All I Want for Christmas Is You" several times on the special in the past. Darlene Love is alive and well. Then again, this is a network that has buried its scandals and masked some of its accomplishments in the past. Her famous song has been a staple on my Christmas Top 100 for the last several years; this year, it is firmly entrenched in the top five. And the age factor is so much B.S. Jon Bon Jovi is no spring chicken, and Chicago has been around since 1969. She also has performed on the left-leaning talk show The View, so you can't blame politics for the snub, either.
Get your act together, NBC.
(NOTE: Much of the above Information is from an article by Bruce Haring dated Dec. 5, 2019 posted on deadline.com.)
REFLECTIONS, REGRETS: We are in December, the last month of the last year of the decade (well, maybe not for those 'there was no year zero' people who recognize the end of 2020 as the end of the 2010's, but I digress). I have frequently stated that once this year has ended, I will discontinued by blog, and stop listening to new music. Well, the latter might be impossible (see below) but the former is a real possibility, at least regarding the new stuff.
When I started tackling my coverage of the current music scene back in August 2010, I wasn't sure what I would expect. While I have included many genres in addition to my music of choice, Alternative Rock, such as pop, country, hip-hop, reggae and a smattering of others, to be honest, I had no idea how pop music and culture would have evolved in the 2010's. In early 2010, rock songs in the top echelon of the Billboard Hot 100 were already scarce, but the ones that frequently got up there would be well-discussed. I would figure that mentioning new music and artists, including some of their backgrounds and where in the area they would be performing (as I did in the beginning) would be interesting to those reading it. And yes, a handful of friends did get into some of the stuff I blogged about, and a bunch shared what they were listening to as well.
What I failed to do, however was to generate a discussion on my blog posts about the merits of an artist or song. And, except for the "indie folk" movement of 2011 and 2012, and a novelty crossover of a rock-oriented song in Billboard's pop top ten the last half of the decade, I failed to communicate to those people whose heroes were One Direction, BTS, Justin Bieber, Drake, or Post Malone. That, I pretty much had many of these artists that I loved and showcased all to myself. And, in an effort to share them, fell short.
 |
| Korean "K-Pop" sensation boy band BTS is just one of the pop acts that have made rock music all but extinct on the popular music charts; something I never expected when I started my blog back in 2010. |
Don't get me wrong. I loved doing this blog; however it got to the point where I was spending several hours downloading, researching and checking out a newly discovered artists backstory both of their career and discography. It became clear that my friends preferred stories and backgrounds on classic artists and not new ones. I keep referring to my blog earlier this year on Lana Del Rey that attracted a total of EIGHT views as a reminder of what my peers preferred to listen to.
Still, I followed my love for listening to new music....and there are several new things that will cause me to question my abandonment of what is new....and to keep it up for over nine years is definitely an accomplishment.
I plan to have at least three or four more blogs this month, in which I will look back at not just the year gone by, but the last decade as well. There will be my annual "Top 100" list for 2019 in keeping with a tradition going back forty-five years. Also, my "top songs of the decade" will be published as well, along with all my number one songs; highlights of my better blogs, and more goodies, which may roll into 2020. I also, in the spirit of recent blogs about Facebook friends who are musicians---my blogs featuring Shannon Marsyada and Paul Czekaj are by far and away the most viewed-- I plan on doing one on local producer and musician Tom Corea as well. Finally, I am about 550 views away from 300,000 views, which I hope to attain before I am done.
NEW MUSIC: Recent adds and moves on my SNS 100 may cause me to change my mind and continue following new stuff, as one great song, "Hero" by Michael Kiwanuka, moves 5-1 to take the top spot; his second chart topper after "One More Night". It knocks "The Message" by Shannon Marsyada out of the summit after two weeks. Women hold down the next four spots; in addition to Marsyada, Andreya Triana, Molly Burch, and Delacey have positions 2 thru 5, while the #6 song, "Vague" by ScreenAge, has a female lead singer, Emily McMahon. However, The Griswolds, a male trio from Australia, have an awesome song, "Nice to Meet Ya!" (13-7) that may jump over all of them next week.
 |
| New Jersey alt-rock band ScreenAge features lead singer Emily McMahon; one of five females or female-led acts in the top six this week. |
Two Feet (aka Bill Dess) grabs the Impact award with "Pink", while pop singer Lewis Capaldi and alt-rock veterans Weezer enter the top 20.
TENNIS AGAIN, ANYONE? One of the great aspects of running this blog and my playlist was stumbling upon artists that are obscure that haven't charted at all. One such band is Tennis, a husband-wife duo from Denver, who I discovered back in early 2012 as their song "Origins" took only four weeks to hit my summit. I became a fan, but, not surprisingly, was kept in the dark about any other releases since none of their stuff gets played on radio. Often, it's reading an old blog and wondering "what happened to so-and-so". Thus in 2015, I discovered their Rutual & Repeat set, one full year after that was released; from it came the #4 "I'm Callin'".
 |
| Tennis, consisting of husband-and-wife duo Alaine Moore (L) and Patrick Riley, are one of my favorites of the 2010's. They have released a new single "Runner", debuting at #35 as the Top Debut this week, in front of their Swimming set, due in February 2020. |
But it was the release of both Yours Conditionally (March 2017) and the EP We Can Die Happy (November 2017) that caught be napping and off guard. I was lucky to get the lead single from Yours, "Ladies Don't Play Guitar" (#7) and the follow-up, "In the Morning I'll Be Better (#2), but that wasn't until summer. But many singles were released and the EP had been released before I explored the full-length album. As a result for the next year and a half, I added "Modern Woman" (#1, and #6 for 2018); "My Emotions are Blinding" (their third SNS #1); then from We Can Die Happy, "No Exit" (#12), and "I Miss That Feeling", which hit #3 this spring. So pretty much, after almost three years, I got "caught up".
Once again, I checked the Wikipedia pages to see if there was any new product, and lo and behind, they have another album coming out in 2020, Swimmer, due in February, with the lead single, released last month, "Runner" (no relation to the current Foals song).
The question was, since I had been constantly exposed to Tennis' music for the last two years ("I Miss That Feeling" dropped off the SNS 100 in June), was I getting numb to their dream-poppy sound? I had that attitude when I cued up the new video. Their answer was discovered in a few seconds. A resounding NO!!!! This is an awesome song. While it's not really a departure from what the duo has done in the past, it comes on as something that I hadn't heard before. The video features Alaina Moore dancing around to her vocals, with an occasional glance at her guitar-playing husband Patrick Riley, and the two embrace towards the end of the song. It pretty much has the same tempo as another recent song by a perennial favorite, Foster the People's "Imagination". There is a soulful, gutsy slant to it that was missing from more recent material such as the songs from We Can Die Happy. I found myself playing the song several times. The only question is its longevity and will I get tired of it. It debuts at a strong #35, and if it wasn't for "Hero" or the fast-rising "Nice to Meet Ya", I would safely say that it would equal the four week rise to the top of "Origins".
With songs like these, how can you abandon new music!!!
The rest of the debuts include the latest by Beck, "Uneventful Days", a relatively mellow outing from his latest set, Hyperspace, but still showcases his innovativeness. Sadly, the momentum that he gained from his Album of the Year Grammy in 2015 for Morning Phase has worn off. The album debuts on the Billboard 200 only at #40. If that's the peak, it breaks a string of six straight top 10 albums. Once again, rock seems to be dying with the masses each day. Beck still has more talent than anything pop these days. Just saying.
Also debuting is a band called The Highwomen, a supergroup of sorts in the country field, headed by Brandi Carlile, who hit #22 earlier this year with "The Joke", with a cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic "The Chain"; plus two pop hits, "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lupa, a songstress from Kosovo by way of England, and the latest from Maroon 5, "Memories". Two Christmas songs enter, including a re-entry from last year's big hit, "Cozy Little Christmas" by Katy Perry. Normally I don't re-add holiday songs that have been on my list in a prior year, but this one continues to be strong....last year it hit #1, and Perry has made a new video for this season.
The other add? Matt Nathanson's cover of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". It's a good rendition.
But it's no Darlene Love.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
December 1, 2019
|
This
Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
5
|
NUMBER ONE:
"Hero"
Album: Kiwanuka
|
5
|
|
2
|
1
|
12
|
|
|
3
|
2
|
11
|
|
|
4
|
4
|
6
|
|
|
5
|
6
|
9
|
|
|
6
|
7
|
9
|
|
|
7
|
13
|
4
|
|
|
8
|
3
|
13
|
|
|
9
|
9
|
6
|
|
|
10
|
8
|
17
|
|
|
11
|
11
|
7
|
|
|
12
|
17
|
7
|
|
|
13
|
16
|
8
|
|
|
14
|
15
|
9
|
|
|
15
|
18
|
7
|
|
|
16
|
22
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"Pink"
Album: Momentum (EP)
|
9
|
|
17
|
10
|
19
|
|
|
18
|
26
|
7
|
|
|
19
|
24
|
8
|
|
|
20
|
28
|
9
|
|
|
21
|
23
|
11
|
|
|
22
|
21
|
24
|
|
|
23
|
31
|
8
|
|
|
24
|
12
|
12
|
|
|
25
|
33
|
7
|
|
|
26
|
27
|
18
|
|
|
27
|
14
|
17
|
|
|
28
|
20
|
18
|
|
|
29
|
48
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
(Single Only)
|
3
|
|
30
|
25
|
23
|
|
|
31
|
19
|
12
|
|
|
32
|
30
|
23
|
|
|
33
|
35
|
16
|
|
|
34
|
46
|
3
|
|
|
35
|
---
|
TOP DEBUT:
"Runner"
Album: Swimmer
|
1
|
|
36
|
37
|
5
|
|
|
37
|
29
|
17
|
|
|
38
|
43
|
6
|
|
|
39
|
34
|
22
|
|
|
40
|
41
|
6
|
|
|
41
|
44
|
6
|
|
|
42
|
47
|
4
|
|
|
43
|
45
|
5
|
|
|
44
|
32
|
13
|
|
|
45
|
74
|
2
|
|
|
46
|
50
|
5
|
|
|
47
|
68
|
2
|
|
|
48
|
36
|
13
|
|
|
49
|
62
|
4
|
|
|
50
|
54
|
5
|
|
|
51
|
38
|
21
|
|
|
52
|
40
|
23
|
|
|
53
|
49
|
13
|
|
|
54
|
59
|
3
|
|
|
55
|
39
|
12
|
|
|
56
|
42
|
20
|
|
|
57
|
55
|
9
|
|
|
58
|
58
|
6
|
|
|
59
|
84
|
2
|
|
|
60
|
88
|
2
|
|
|
61
|
66
|
9
|
|
|
62
|
67
|
4
|
|
|
63
|
73
|
4
|
|
|
64
|
56
|
19
|
|
|
65
|
61
|
20
|
|
|
66
|
70
|
6
|
|
|
67
|
72
|
5
|
|
|
68
|
85
|
2
|
|
|
69
|
83
|
3
|
|
|
70
|
52
|
17
|
|
|
71
|
60
|
15
|
|
|
72
|
78
|
3
|
|
|
73
|
----
|
1
|
|
|
74
|
53
|
20
|
|
|
75
|
63
|
6
|
|
|
76
|
51
|
12
|
|
|
77
|
57
|
20
|
|
|
78
|
81
|
4
|
|
|
79
|
80
|
5
|
|
|
80
|
86
|
34
|
|
|
81
|
RE-ENTRY
|
12
|
|
|
82
|
71
|
22
|
|
|
83
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
84
|
64
|
10
|
|
|
85
|
76
|
33
|
|
|
86
|
75
|
15
|
|
|
87
|
92
|
2
|
|
|
88
|
95
|
2
|
|
|
89
|
65
|
14
|
|
|
90
|
87
|
8
|
|
|
91
|
79
|
24
|
|
|
92
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
93
|
77
|
25
|
|
|
94
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
95
|
89
|
27
|
|
|
96
|
91
|
4
|
|
|
97
|
---
|
1
|
|
|
98
|
69
|
11
|
|
|
99
|
94
|
30
|
|
|
100
|
82
|
15
|
|
|
Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs with 25 or more plays on my iPod/iTunes.
▲ Songs with 50 or more plays on my iPod/iTunes.
¨ Songs with 100 or more plays on my iPod/iTunes.
The “Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100” is a list of current and recent song playlist which I am listening to.
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