Category: Music

(Back in the) USSR Established on Today’s Date

USSR flag On December 30, 1922, following the Russian Revolution, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (“USSR“) was established. The country was created out of a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation (which was later divided into the Georgian, Azerbaijan, and Armenian republics).

Before being dissolved in 1991, the Soviet Union eventually included fifteen republics: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Belorussia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

When any Beatles fan hears “USSR,” the person’s mind wanders to the Beatles classic “Back in the USSR” from the two-disc The Beatles (1968), otherwise known as The White Album.”

Although the song is about the USSR in the title, underlying the song is a tribute to American rock and roll. The title evokes Chuck Berry’s “Back in the USA.” And in the chorus there is a nod to the Beach Boys’ “California Girls“:

Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the west behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout. . .

Another line in the chorus mixes the USSR Georgia and the USA state Georgia to evoke Ray Charles and “Georgia on my Mind.” That song was recorded by Charles in 1960 and written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930.  As a tribute, the Beatles sing, “That Georgia’s always on my my my my my my my my my mind.”

Although “Back in the USSR” takes the conflict of the Cold War to make a piece of beautiful music, there was conflict among the band members when the song was recorded. In a precursor to later band troubles, during the making of The White Album, Ringo Star quit the group for a short period. “Back in the USSR” was recorded during this period.

So, Ringo does not play on the song. Most believe that the drums on the song were a composite of the other band members taking a turn at the skins, although a majority of the drumming may be McCartney, the primary writer of the song. For an earlier version of “Back in the USSR,” check out this Beatles demo:

Paul McCartney eventually performed the song in Russia in 2003. By then, neither the countries of the USSR nor the men of the Beatles were together.

Still, it is a good performance. I suspect the people in the crowd know how lucky they are.

What do you think of Back in the USSR? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Dion Has the Blues

    Dion Bronx in Blue Dion Dimucci has made some wonderful music since the dawn of the rock and roll era. His song “Runaround Sue” is one of my favorite all-time songs, and I love other songs he made with the Belmonts and solo.

    For a long time through the late 1980s and 1990s, though, I assumed he was not around anymore because I had not heard anything about him since those days. And then one night at a Bruce Springsteen concert, Springsteen told how he reworked his own “If I Fall Behind” from his Tunnel of Love album after hearing Dion cover it. It is a beautiful song that Springsteen has played in a variety of ways, including an excellent Irish music version with the Seeger Session band. But his Dion doo wop version of “If I Fall Behind” was a revelation because it made me realize Dion was still around. Being a Springsteen fan and loving old Dion music, I had to track down Dion’s recording, which Dion later put on the album Deja Nu (2000). I liked the album a lot, and I’ve been keeping up with Dion’s new releases ever since.

    Some of his most amazing recent work is on two blues CD’s of classic covers with a few originals: Bronx in Blue (2006) and Son of Skip James (2007). I bought the first one because I had read good reviews of it and saw it on sale at a store. It might first seem odd that Dion is singing blues songs, but he grew up listening to blues music in the Bronx. The albums are excellent. There are not videos for most of the songs, but I did find this one of “Worried Blues”:

    Below is Dion’s take on Howlin’ Wolf’s “Built for Comfort,” which appears on Bronx in Blue:

    His third blues CD, Tank Full of Blues, is due out January 24. This week Rolling Stone premiered one of the songs off the CD, “I Read It (in the Rolling Stone).” Finally, one other thing I love about Dion is that he seems to write his own updates on his Facebook page. And he still writes using 1950s slang. The cat is cool. Give him a “Like.” For crying out loud, he is a legend and has been making music for seven decades. You can at least press a button for the guy.

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    Billy Joel Saw the Lights Go Out on Broadway

    Billy Joel Shea Stadium Billy Joel recently became the only non-classical musician to have his portrait unveiled at Steinway Hall, home to the piano maker Steinway & Sons. Except for Elton John, there probably is not another pop musicians as associated with the piano as Joel. So it is a fitting tribute.

    One of my favorite Billy Joel songs is “Miami 2017,” and in the following video, Billy Joel explains the inspiration behind the song. “Miami 2017” originally appeared on The Stranger (1977), and a live version later appeared on Joel’s collection of lesser-known previously released tracks, Songs in the Attic (1981).

    Near the end of the video below, Joel plays a part of the song. But in the beginning, Joel describes his reaction to the federal government’s refusal to bail out a defaulting New York City in 1975. Then, he explains that his song’s title evokes a retired New Yorker living in Florida in the year 2017 telling what he had witnessed.

    If that gave you a taste for hearing the entire song, check out this video of Billy Joel singing the song as part of his 2008 performances that closed down Shea Stadium before the stadium was reduced to a pile of rubble. Hence, the lyric change at around the 2:40 mark, “The Mets can play / One more game in Shea,” before sinking Manhattan out at sea.



    What is your favorite Billy Joel song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Happy Christmas (War is Over)

    War is Over

    Merry Christmas to our readers who celebrate the holiday. With some recent events, an appropriate song for this year is John Lennon’s beautiful “Happy Xmas (War is Over).” The song was released in 1971 while the Viet Nam conflict was still going strong, so the original single was a song of protest and hope instead of a statement of fact.

    Of course, today, the song is still more of a wish than anything else even as violence around the world continues. But in our dreams for the future we can hope for peace.

    Currently, there is not a live video of Lennon singing the song available. So, here is a video of Melissa Etheridge’s version of the song. While nobody can match Lennon, she does an excellent job.

    Lennon’s original, which was recorded with the help of producer Phil Spector and the Harlem Community Choir, may be heard on YouTube without any performance footage. Youtube also has what sounds like a Lennon demo version of the song.

    Of course, there are other covers, including ones by The Fray, Coldplay, The Coors, and Celine Dion.

    Happy Xmas Trivia

    Although many think the opening greetings in the original are John and Yoko telling each other “happy Christmas,” they are not.  The couple is actually giving the greeting to their children, Kyoko and Julian.

    And what about the music? In another piece of trivia, Wikipedia notes that the chord changes to the song come from “Stewball,” a sweet song about a drunk racehorse. If you listen to Peter, Paul, & Mary’s version of the traditional song, you can almost sing “Happy Xmas” along with them.

    I bet on the grey mare, I bet on the bay
    If I’d have bet on ol’ Stewball, I’d be a free man today.

    Oh the hoot owl, she hollers, and the turtle dove moans.
    I’m a poor boy in trouble, I’m a long way from home.

    Here’s to a future Christmas where no soldiers are a long way from home and no civilians know of war. Happy Xmas.

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    Kmart Layaway Good Samaritans Pay It Forward

    Pay It Forward Around the country, some people are paying off Christmas layaway accounts for people they do not know. In a cool act of random kindness, Good Samaritans are going to Kmarts and anonymously paying off a customer Christmas layaway account or two for random strangers. In one case, a woman in Indianapolis paid off the layaway accounts for 50 people, saying she wanted to do something nice in memory of her husband who had just passed away. Other individual acts are on a smaller scale but still make a gigantic difference to the aided family. The acts of kindness began in Michigan and has spread to many other parts of the country. While the Good Samaritans have appeared in other stores, most have occurred in Kmarts, apparently because of that chain’s history of offering layaways. I know what our cynical readings are thinking, but Kmart officials deny any involvement.

    The story reminded me of the film, Pay It Forward (2000), which starred Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment, and Helen Hunt. In the film, a teacher played by Spacey gave an assignment to change the world, and in response, Trevor McKinney (Osment) developed his “Pay It Forward” plan. Under his idea, a person does a good deed for another and then asks that person to “pay it forward” to three other people who need help. If the plan works, the good deeds in the world will multiply exponentially. The film follows a reporter investigating the effects of McKinney’s idea while McKinney, his mom, his grandmother, and his teacher all struggle with their own problems.

    The film got mixed reviews from critics but did better with audience members as shown by the 40% critic rating and 82% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While the film has some flaws, it is a decent entertaining movie that also addresses some serious issues. I suspect many went to the film expecting either an uplifting happy movie or a light romantic comedy and did not get what they expected. While the movie is ultimately not a downer, it does pull at the heartstrings. The movie was based on a novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and there is now a Pay It Forward Foundation inspired by the book and film.

    The Kmart holiday Good Samaritans do not appear to be asking anyone to pay their good deeds forward, but anytime someone does an act of kindness it involves a leap of faith that the deed will somehow make the world a little better place. And anytime someone else does an act of kindness it reminds us all that we should aspire to be better people too.

    While speaking of layaway and good things, let’s do a good deed and listen to the best song about layaway, the 1972 song “Lay Away” by the Isley Brothers. Like the Kmart Good Samaritans, the Isley Brothers are putting some love on layaway.

    Bonus Song of “Calling All Angels”: If you have seen the movie Pay It Forward, you probably recall the powerful use of a song at the end. I did not want to ruin the ending of the film for those who have not seen it, but you may see the ending along with Jane Siberry singing her song “Calling All Angels,” which she recorded with k.d. lang. Warning: If you have not seen the film, the link at the song title shows the movie ending. You may hear the song without ruining the ending here.

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