Pophistory: music, movies, history, and life.
Test your knowledge of the classic songs appearing in movies and holiday television specials with these ten questions (plus a bonus question). How well do you know your Christmas music? Answers and videos of all the songs appear at the end with your score.
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Last night on The X Factor, 13-year-old Rachel Crow performed as her “save-me song” the classic “I’d Rather Go Blind,” originally recorded by Etta James. The judges, however, were not able to muster the votes to save her against the talented Marcus Canty, who also was in the bottom two. Because the judges could not decide, the total call-in votes made the ultimate decision. Somewhat surprisingly, Crow was sent packing. When the host announced the news, Crow collapsed in tears. Judge Nicole Scherzinger, who cast the final judge vote that sent the decision to the call-in votes, broke down in tears too.
It was a sad ending on the show for Crow, who was one of the most talented performers on the show and had one of the more interesting back stories, having started out as a neglected crack baby before being adopted into a loving home. Seeing her break down and call out “mommy!” made me wonder whether it was fair that the show had such a low age for contestants, which is lower than the limit on American Idol. Is it fair to put a 13-year-old through this kind of pressure on national television? But I suspect that Crow will be fine and that she will benefit greatly from her experience on the show (a new rumor claims she is already talking to Disney). This morning is another day, and now she can look back on her experience on the show and realize she may be able to follow her dream. How many 13-year-olds get that?
And in the long run, music lovers may benefit from the fact that her appearances may lead to a long career. Crow’s voice and performances often reflected a much older soul. If you have not been following the show, check out her final performance of “I’d Rather Go Blind” below. Note how she channels her own sorrow about being in danger of leaving the show into the emotional lyrics of the song.
What did you think of the show and of Crow’s performance? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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Earlier this week, one of the creators of the Chicago blues sound, guitarist Hubert Sumlin passed away at the age of 80. Sumlin played as rhythm and then lead guitarist for Howlin’ Wolf from 1963 until Wolf died in 1976. So even if you have never heard Sumlin’s name, you have heard his guitar work on such blues classics as “Spoonful,” “Smokestack Lightning,” “Wang Dang Doodle,” and “Back Door Man.” Beyond that, you have heard his influence in many of the rock classics you know. Among many others, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix all credited Sumlin with influencing their guitar work. Sumlin also played guitar for Muddy Waters for a short period.
Here is an undated video that appears to be fairly recent of Sumlin showing he still has the chops, playing “Killing Floor” with Eric Clapton, Jimmie Vaughan, and Robert Cray.
By most accounts, Hubert Sumlin was a quiet and unassuming man. Because he was not one to hog the spotlight, if you were not a devoted blues fan you might have missed his name. But one may see a part of the history of rock and roll in the admiring and joyful facial expressions of Clapton, Vaughan, and Cray as they play with the legend. RIP.
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Dobie Gray, the singer of “Drift Away,” passed away at the age of 70 on December 6, 2011. Gray had been born into a family of Texas sharecroppers in 1940 with the name Leonard Victor Ainsworth or Laurence Darrow Brown at birth.
Gray garnered the name he would make famous because of a television show character. Sonny Bono suggested to him that he change his stage name to Dobie because of the popularity of the TV show The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
Gray had a long recording and performing career and had a 1965 hit with “The In Crowd.” In the video below, he performs the song on the ABC TV show Shindig!
Every obituary, though, will begin and end with Gray’s great 1973 song, “Drift Away.” The song became a hit again in 2003 as a duet between Gray and Uncle Kracker.
The song was originally recorded by John Henry Kurtz and numerous artists have covered it through the years. Still, for me, Gray’s version of “Drift Away” is one of the greatest songs of all time.
Songwriter Mentor Williams wrote “Drift Away” in the early 1970s when rock and roll was at less than its peak. Many saw the song as a reminder about why rock music should continue.
In The Heart of Rock & Soul
Below Gray performs “Drift Away” live.
“Drift Away” is one of those rare songs that makes you happy whenever or wherever you hear it, and it would not be the same without Gray’s voice. Unlike Kurtz’s earlier version that sang about “the” rock and roll, Gray sings about wanting to get lost in “your” rock and roll. And you believe him, and you believe it is “your” music too.
When Gray calls for the beat, it frees your soul. So even on a sad day, Gray’s voice reminds me of why I love music so much.
Thanks for the joy you’ve given me;
I want you to know that I believe in your song;
And rhythm, and rhyme, and harmony;
You helped me along . . .
What do you think of “Drift Away”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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On today’s date of December 6 in 1865, Georgia voted for the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The vote provided sufficient state support to officially ratify the amendment ending slavery in the United States.
Earlier, after the U.S. Senate had passed the amendment in April 1864, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure in January of 1865. The vote sent the amendment to the states for ratification, with that process ending on today’s date.
Thus, on today’s date, after more than a century of bloodshed by the lash followed by several years of bloodshed on the battlefield, these words were finally placed in the U.S. Constitution: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
They are beautiful words, long overdue, of course. The words of freedom remind me of some other beautiful words that begin, “Old pirates, yes, they rob I;/ Sold I to the merchant ships.” In honor of the anniversary of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, it seems an appropriate time to join in to sing a song of freedom. The song, of course, is “Redemption Song” written by the great Bob Marley, who sings it live in the following video.
Marley wrote the song around 1979 after being diagnosed with cancer. He took the famous line “emancipate ourselves from mental slavery” from a speech by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey.
Marley’s song, though, speaks in a broader context. He starts off singing about slave ships and ends with a plea for us to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.
The powerful song is not locked in time or place, but it now belongs to the world. Earlier this year, Playing for Change created a cool video of performers from around the world — including Stephen Marley — joining in to create a beautiful cover of the song.
I suppose more Americans know the words to “Redemption Song” than to the Thirteenth Amendment. Yet, both continue to resonate around the world. Won’t you help to sing these songs of freedom?
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