Seeing as today is Lincoln’s Birthday, it seems appropriate that today’s song of the day should come from John Williams’s score of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, performed here by the Film Symphony Orchestra.
Category Archives: Song of the Day
Song of the Day: Little Wing (by Jimi Hendix)
Jimi Hendrix was arguably one of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century. Some may dispute that label and maybe pigeonhole him as one of the greatest rock musician, but his impact on the musical landscape goes beyond just rock music, but all of music no matter the genre or style.
He was that one singular musician, just like any prodigy, who came along and burned bright for a short period of time before being snuffed out by the very gift and genius for creativity he became known for. There has been other musicians who have attained legend status since Jimi Hendrix’s untimely death on September 18, 1970, but even they would say that they still couldn’t comprehend what Hendrix was able to do with an electric guitar and in the short time he had in the limelight.
Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” is a microcosm of why musicians and rock historians almost look at Hendrix’s work with nigh-mythical status. The song, released on December 1, 1967, begins with Hendrix’s much slower chord progression accompanied by the haunting use of the glockenspiel that then leads to Hendrix’s vocals and drums. It is around the 1:45 minute mark when the song follows through on its vocals with one of the most precise and a nominee for greatest guitar solo of all-time.
The song itself is not very long, but even in the its two-and-a-half minute running time “Little Wing” achieves what most musicians could only dream of and that is a song that continues to inspire and bewilder (the song has been covered and studied countless times, but no could ever agree how Hendrix did his magic on the song).
Little Wing
Well, she’s walking through the clouds
With a circus mind that’s running wild
Butterflies and zebras and moonbeams
And her fairy tales
That’s all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind
When I’m sad, she comes to me
With a thousand smiles, she gives to me free
“It’s alright” she says, “It’s alright”
Take anything you want from me, take anything
Anything
Fly on, little wing
[guitar solo]
Great Guitar Solos Series
- Master of Puppets (by Metallica)
- Free Bird (by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
- Hotel California (by The Eagles)
- Stairway to Heaven (by Led Zeppelin)
- Texas Flood (by Stevie Ray Vaughan)
- Comfortably Numb (by Pink Floyd)
- Powerslave (by Iron Maiden)
- Fade to Black (by Metallica)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (by Queen)
- Sweet Child o’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses)
- Mr. Crowley (by Ozzy Osbourne)
- Rainbow in the Dark (by Dio)
- Róisín Dubh (by Thin Lizzy)
- Rock You Like A Hurricane (by Scorpions)
- Whipping Post (by Allman Brothers Band)
- Carry On Wayward Son (by Kansas)
- War Pigs (by Black Sabbath)
- Since I’ve Been Loving You (by Led Zeppelin)
- Satch Boogie (by Joe Satriani)
- Rambin’ Man (by The Allman Brothers Band)
- Sympathy for the Devil (by Jimi Hendrix)
Song of the Day: The Hunt by Jerry Goldsmith
The late composer Jerry Goldsmith was born 96 years ago today. Over the course of his long career, he composed many classic film scores. He was nominated for 18 Oscars and won for his score for The Omen.
Today’s song of the day comes from Goldsmith’s score for 1968’s Planet of the Apes! Listen to this and try not visualize Charlton Heston being chased by a bunch of gorillas on horseback.
Song of the Day: Little People Blues by Vincent & Pesci
Today’s song of the day is an instrumental that was recorded and released in 1972. Frank Vincent is playing the drums. Joe Pesci is on guitar. Even if not for the celebrity connection, I would love this song. It’s really good!
Song of the Day: Raiders March by John Williams
Today is the 93rd birthday of the great composer John Williams and today’s song of the day is one of his greatest compositions. Here’s is John Williams, conducting Raiders March (from the Indiana Jones films) in Vienna.
Song of the Day: Prokofiev’s Dance Of The Knights, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra
Today’s song of the day is one of my favorite pieces of music, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Conducting is Valery Gergiev.
Song of the Day: The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll by Mamie Van Doren
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 94th birthday to actress and singer, Mamie Van Doren! Here she is performing today’s song of the day, The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll!
This scene is from 1958’s Teacher’s Pet.
Brad’s Song of the Day – Guns N’ Roses and a memory of “Patience”
Today is Axl Rose’s 63rd birthday, which reminded me of a very interesting memory I had of the first time I heard the song “Patience.”
I grew up on Gospel music and Country music, but late in the 80’s I attended a summer camp called Project Caves where we learned about and explored various caverns in North Arkansas. While there, we were paired up with roommates from across the state. As I was getting to know my roommate on the first night, he shared his favorite current music album with me, which happened to be Appetite for Destruction by Guns N’ Roses. He had his cassette with him so we listened to it. And needless to say, I immediately loved it, especially the song “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” I also loved “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City,” and we listened to the album almost on repeat over those couple of weeks. By the time I got back home to Toad Suck, I had “Sweet Child o’ Mine” memorized word for word and note for note. I couldn’t wait to tell my brother and sister about the songs. At first they kind of teased me and called me “heavy metal man,” but it wasn’t long before they were listening to (and loving) those songs as well.
Music awards shows were a big deal around our house in the 80’s because that’s where we got to watch our favorite singers and bands perform. I remember The American Music Awards show being advertised, with one of their live performances to be provided by Guns N’ Roses. For historical reference, the show was on January 30, 1989, and I had recently turned 15. Giddy with excitement, my brother, my sister and I made sure we were in front of the TV that night so we could watch the group perform one of our favorite songs. Which would it be… Sweet Child o’ Mine, Paradise City, Welcome to the Jungle???
And then the performance started with Axl Rose whistling the slowest song imaginable, the song we’d all come to know as “Patience,” which would be released as a new single a few months later. We all looked at each other like WTF?! We listened to the song together in disappointment, but I do kinda remember liking the part at the end even that night. In full disclosure, the song would go on to grow on me, and I even like the song now, but it was NOT the song we were looking for that night. We still bring that up to each other and laugh at times.
Today, however, I share that performance with you! Happy birthday, Axl! And enjoy, my friends!
Song of the Day: Night Train to Mundo Fine by John Carradine
On this date, 119 years ago, the great actor John Carradine was born in New York City.
Over the course of his career, Carradine worked for just about everyone. He appeared on stage. He appeared in film and television. He played the great roles of Shakespeare and he also played Dracula. He was a part of both the John Ford and the Fred Olen Ray stock companies. He had a reputation for taking almost any role offered to him and, as a result, his huge filmography offers up a wonderful amount of variety.
He was also a singer! Here he is performing today’s song of the day, Night Train to Mundo Fine! This song was featured Coleman Francis’s Red Zone Cuba. Say what you may about the song or the film, how can you not love Carrdine’s dramatic (and perhaps slightly mocking) delivery of the lyrics?
Brad’s Song of the Day: “Dixieland Delight” by country music Supergroup, ALABAMA!
My earliest memories of listening to music, other than at church, were listening to the group ALABAMA with my family when we were driving down the road in my dad’s Chevy Luv pickup truck. There were five of us in total, my mom, dad, brother, and sister, and we’d all pile into the cab of that little truck. We had to arrange ourselves just right to even fit. This would have been in the very early ’80’s, and seatbelts weren’t required for nothing! I remember listening to songs like “Mountain Music” and “Tennessee River” and “Take Me Down.” We’d all sing our hearts out to our favorites.
Fast forward around 10 years and one of my favorite family vacations took place when I was a junior in high school. We just got in our car and drove, with Pigeon Forge, TN, as our final destination. However, my dad liked to always take the scenic routes, so we took a very crooked path and went through a lot of beautiful, out of the way places as part of the trip. I remember we ended up stopping off one night in Fort Payne, AL, which is where the members of the group were born and raised. We even ran into band member Jeff Cook’s mom in a store there. It was so wonderful.
The picture I share above is from 2020, when my wife and I took a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. I just had to visit the Bowery while we there because this is the bar where ALABAMA performed for tips for seven years (1973 – 1980) prior to hitting it big. It was quite the nostalgic and special experience!
Without further ado, I’ll share one of my very favorite ALABAMA songs, “Dixieland Delight.” I hope you enjoy!
Through the Shattered Lens 