“Close to You” was my first Carpenter song ever, one of the greatest songs of all time. “Good-Bye to Love” was my favorite song when I was eleven. With the possible exception of “Top of the World,” which was “re-written” for church-singing (and I sang with Jayne and JJ Dixon in Cedar Rapids and later with Cheryl Bardwell in Robert, Lousiana I do believe), I love almost every song they have ever done like crazy. I just think I over-heard/sang “Top of the…” too many times and Karen’s mournful, deep heart stuff is her true genius.
Just sayin’.
Um…should they have put this article about “Is He Dead” next to the funeral notices? Dave just asked me…O, my…think I better point it out.
I wrote to dailypost@localcolormag.com and just suggested that perhaps moving the article about the play to a different location in their magazine might be a better idea?
Their response, in full:
We don’ t have many options.
The Daily Post and
Local Color magazine
Write well – Do good
Tristan (world’s greatest drummer) recently went in to the recording studio with his friend, Sean Blancherd, and some other guys and here is what I know from the website:
The Thought Process:
Sean Blanchard – Bass
Tristan Kelley – Drums
Brer Rabbit – Vox
Special Guest:
Jon Wirtz – Keys
The Thought Process started as just that, a thought that bassist Sean Blanchard has had over the past few years while playing and touring with some other amazing artists. “What would it sound like if certain styles of music were mixed over the bass grooves that were filling up my computer?” The two styles that kept coming into play, hip hop and jazz. Thus, The Thought Process was born.
Groove oriented story telling, melodies, in the pocket drum and bass, with an intellectual vocal vibe.credits
released 25 October 2011
I am so {obviously} not the hip-hop demographic, but I wholly love good lyric and jazz just folds me in, melts me a little.
One of my all-time favorite songs, ”A Million Stars” is going to be such a blessing to you!! It is to me.
There are 4 performances scheduled in Oct. and Nov. Opening night is Friday! So cultured, aren’t we? 
http://www.prairieplayhouse.com/productions/ishedead Hope to see you there (The Brighton Armory).
I love the arts. I love my {talented} family and God has surrounded me with light and color and melody and song. The hills are alive with the sound of music….
Our family vacations were almost always trips to Busch Stadium in St. Louis to watch them play. I rarely follow baseball these days, but when you get a late season chance and there is baseball in October, I am there!
Hope=hope=hope they beat the Brewers tonight!!!
With all the great music there is to listen to, it isn’t often I get to Burt, but he has undeniably written a truckload of great stuff in my lifetime. “Wives and Lovers, “Walk on By,” and “Any Day Now,” to name a few. Also, “What’s New Pussycat?” and “What the World Needs Now is Love.” I love “One Less Bell to Answer, ” and “This Guy’s in Love with You.” Of course he wrote, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” and “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.” Great songs! “I Say a Little Prayer,” is fun and “Alfie” was a big hit.
This is my all-time favorite Burt song, though it is much less know. And it is newer, not on my vinyls. It is from the movie (“the” movie) “Grace of My Heart.”
Tide, THE detergent of my youth, has a great commercial series going on now.
My dad was a country boy in Misourri, growing up in the 1940s ,who had to wear cover-alls too school. He hated it. And remains a very snazzy dresser to this day. This post is not about those little bibbed britches, actually. But rather, song covers.
That term can make a lot of people cringe with horror like fingernails on a blackboard. And usually, whenever some one “covers,” a song, or sings something that once “belonged” rightfully to another artist, I tend to think, “Why? Why are you doing that?” It was already an amazing song, done amazingly by some amazing artist I love {and am amazed by, it would seem}.
But honestly? There are great covers out there and the best, I think, are done well because the bands re-recording a tune respects the song so much and loves it for what was originally done with it – that they are able to communicate it really well. I actually want to BE a cover band, for my next job. **big, goofy, smile**
I still really adore Mariah Carey’s version of the Jackson Five’s, “I’ll Be There.” Just the other day, Blake (“Some Beach) Shelton released his cover of Kenny Loggin’s 1980s version of “Footloose,” and it is a respectful, countrified, get-up-and-dance version. I like it. The video is mostly fun, but a little too much dirty-dancing for me to post it here (this is a family blog, people), but the song is good. Great cover.
“Close to You,” by the Carpenters is simply classic and part of the soundtrack of my very life, almost too precious to communicate. Great (Bacharach) tune that it is, it has been covered a gazillion-million times and though I usually, absolutely dismiss any attempts at the re-do, there are a few artists who have given me such an interesting rendition, that I have come to appreciate why anyone ever attempts it at all. It is just a great song. And the live Barbara Streisand and Burt-the-Bacharach-himself version in 1971 are an interesting watch. And I must admit truly loving Mario Biondi’s raspy, deep, jazzy version. It is well interpreted. He knows why, ya know? And he respects the song.
Though I was city born and raised (if Des Moines can be considered a real “city”), my heart that craves the “Boondocks,” which was a grand hit for Little Big Town a few years back. Felt like listening to it the other day and found out that this band that feeds my country-boondocks-slightly-bluegrass periodic-craving has done a bunch of great covers. They’ve done their original stuff with harmonies I love to get lost in, harmonies that harken back to the likes of the Starlight Vocal Band (“Afternoon Delight”) and so many family sing-a-longs in my youth. They are not hacks. They’ve earned the right to cover songs they love. And here is my favorite find!
“Have some respect for your director!”
