Tag: #Willienelson

Today’s/Tomorrow’s Top 40: 2023 Grammy Edition…Lizzo, Harry Styles, Beyonce, Brandi Carlile, Wet Leg, Bad Bunny, Willie Nelson and Encanto!

The 2023 Grammy Awards took place last night in Los Angeles. If you watched any of the show I hope that you did so armed with the vast knowledge you have accrued from a year of good reading on this very blog about many of the stars who were making news in the world of music this past year. If not then today’s post will bring you up to speed. So let’s take a quick run through some of the top award winners from last night’s show. You can read all about them in the links below.

Record of the Year: “About Damn Time” by Lizzo.

Winning the Grammy for Record of the Year caps off a memorable year for Lizzo. Not only did she have some of the biggest hits if the year but she also launched an online dance craze, as well as courting controversy in some quarters by playing an historically important glass flute at The Library of Congress. Lizzo is the real deal and then some. To read all about her accomplishments, click here.

Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album: Harry’s House by Harry Styles.

Harry Styles had a tremendously successful year last year. I wrote about him several times because of his hits “As It Was” and “Night Talking”. You can read all about Mr. Styles here and here.

Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Song: Renaissance by Beyonce.

Beyonce had herself quite a night at the Grammy Awards and quite a year again overall. You can read all about her award-winning album, Renaissance here. You can also read about her past successes in the Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History here and here.

Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Americana Album: Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile.

Brandi Carlile was one of the most deserving winners last night. She has been an under-the-radar superstar in the world of music for quite some time now. Last night’s Grammy wins should elevate her firmly into the public spotlight. Carlile does a lot of good work beyond the walls of her studio. You can read all about this accomplished singer here.

Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Alternative Music Album: “Chaise Longue” by Wet Leg.

Wet Leg are a new duo who burst on to the music scene in a big way in 2022. Read all about who they are and why they were successful here.

Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Album: A Beautiful Time by Willie Nelson.

What a night for a young man who has been winning awards longer than I have been alive! I never wrote about Willie Nelson for Today’s/Tomorrow’s Top 40 last year but I did write about him twice for The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History. So, if you wish to go back down Memory Lane and read those posts, click here and here and enjoy!

Best Musica Urbana Album: Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny.

He opened last night’s show with as energetic an opening as there has been in quite some time. If you watched that and found yourself wondering who the heck Bad Bunny was then wonder no more. Bad Bunny was the most streamed artists in the entire world for the third year in a row last year. He is the face of music in this digital, international age. You can read more about him here.

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Encanto by Various Artists.

When I first started writing for the Today’s/Tomorrow’s Top 40 series almost a full year ago, the Encanto soundtrack was featured in Edition #1. Encanto is a fabulous movie that celebrates Colombian music in the most delightful and colourful manner. If you have never watched the movie then grab yourself some popcorn and settle in. It is fully deserving of all of the accolades that have come its way, including last night’s Grammy win for Best Soundtrack. You can read all about it here.

For a full list of all of the “Winners” and Nominees from the 2023 Grammy Awards, you can visit the official website of the Grammys by clicking here. Congratulations to everyone on this list. Thank you all for a year of terrific music in 2022.

***As always, all original content contained within this blog post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2023 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History…Song #378: Always On My Mind by Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and The Pet Shop Boys (KEXP)

This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.

KEXP: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.

Song #378: Always On My Mind by Brenda Lee, Elvis, Willie Nelson and The Pet Shop Boys.

All throughout the history of modern music there have been songs initially released by one artist only to later be recorded and released by a new artist. We call these second releases cover songs. Cover songs tend to follow one of two formats……they are either a faithful reproduction of the original song or else, they are a complete reinterpretation of the original song. While there have been many successful cover songs over the years, no song has been covered so successfully by so many different artists as has the song “Always On My Mind”. For some, the Elvis version immediately springs to mind. For others, they immediately hear Willie Nelson’s voice. In the 1980s, The Pet Shop Boys covered this song and ended up having one of the biggest hits of their entire career. And, let’s not forget who had success with it first…..Brenda Lee. Her version is lovely (as you shall soon hear).

“Always On My Mind” was written by three men named Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher and Mark James. Singer B.J. Thomas was the first to record it but his version failed to connect with audiences. After another couple of failed attempts by other singers, “Always On My Mind” ended up in the care of Brenda Lee, which is where the story of this song begins today.

Brenda Lee’s Cover Version:

Brenda Lee had been singing since she was a small child. Always on the pixie-ish side, Brenda Lee was fussed and fawned over as a child because of her cuteness and her excellent singing voice. By the time she was in her early teens, Brenda Lee’s father passed away and she ended up becoming the breadwinner of the family. Prior to Madonna coming along in the 1980s, Brenda Lee held the record for the most Top Ten hits. Ironically, her biggest hit had nothing to do with Country and Western songs (for which she is most known). Instead, it is for a Christmas song called “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”. It is hard to find a Christmas compilation CD that does not have her song near the top of the list of songs available for playing. I know that everyone in my household knows her song. Anyway, Lee recorded “Always On My Mind” back in 1972. It received some radio play and reached the low 40s on the Top #100 countdown. But, the most significant aspect of Brenda Lee’s version of “Always On My Mind” is that it brought the song into the public spotlight. Because of that, the song was heard by a couple of other singers who would put their spin on it and take it to the next level.

Elvis Presley’s Cover Version:

He is called The King for a reason. WHAT. A. VOICE! It is easy to forget how truly amazing Elvis’ singing voice actually was. At times, it tends to get lost in the tabloid nature of his later years (the weight gain, the white jumpsuits, the weirdly-themed rooms at Graceland, the drug use). But the man could surely sing! I would give anything to be able to open my mouth and have the sound of his voice pour forth! Elvis was the face of Rock n’ Roll for the 1960s and continues to be regarded as the best of all time by many. With album sales in the hundreds of millions he is certainly the biggest selling singer of all time . During his heyday he was the biggest star in the world and his every move was reported on. When he married Priscilla, their ceremony took on the air of a Royal Wedding. Subsequently, when they divorced a few years later in 1972, it seemed like their loss was America’s loss. A month after the divorce, Elvis recorded “Always On My Mind” which opens with the line, “Maybe I didn’t love you, quite as often as I should have…“. It seemed as though he was singing directly to Priscilla through the lyrics of this song. America swooned. “Always On My Mind” went on to become one of Elvis’ biggest selling singles and one of his signature songs. To many, “Always On My Mind” is an Elvis song and that is a hill that they are willing to die on.

Willie Nelson’s Cover Version:

In the KEXP Countdown list, it is Willie Nelson who is given credit for this song in slot #378. Nelson recorded and released this song in the early 1980s. One of the reasons many consider his version to be the definitive version of “Always On My Mind” is because it is this version that has ended up winning many awards. For example, this song won three Grammy Awards and served as the first time the songwriting trio of Carson, Christopher and James were formally recognized for their contribution as the original writers of the song. As was the case for Elvis, Willie Nelson’s version of this song went to #1 on the charts, staying there for several weeks. For many, the sound of Nelson’s voice is the one most closely associated this song. It is his most popular song and the one that often closes his live concerts.

The Pet Shop Boys Cover Version:

The Pet Shop Boys were a UK synth-pop duo consisting of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. They had several big pop hits during the 1980s, including “West End Girls”, “It’s a Sin”, “Opportunity (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” and “What Have I Done to Deserve This?”. In 1986, The Pet Shop Boys were invited to contribute to a celebration commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis’ death. Each performer who appeared on the TV special offered up a cover version of an Elvis classic. The Pet Shop Boys chose “Always On My Mind”. Unlike all of the other cover versions throughout the decades, The Pet Shop Boys chose to speed up the song and filled it with dash and pizzazz! This peppy rendition caught everyone by surprise and turned out to be one of the biggest hits for the band and one of the songs that has come to define the musical sound of the 1980s. In fact, the video for this song is consistently listed as one of the best from the 80s. It stars Tennant and Lowe as cab drivers and veteran actor Joss Ackland as an eccentric passenger who is asked who he is and replies that he is a “bilingual illiterate……I can’t read in two languages.” The highly original video only gets better from there.

All in all, one of the ways that you can judge the quality of a song is by the ability of many to create Art from its lyrics and musical structure. “Always On My Mind” is that rare jewel of a song that has gifted generations of performers with material of pure gold with which to work from. It has gifted us, as an audience, with countless outstanding versions to listen to and enjoy. It is not necessary to argue over which version is the best…..because they are all stellar in their own way…..but, is there a version that particularly appeals to you? If so, let me know in the comments below. I will post versions of all four covers, starting below with Brenda Lee’s song. The others will appear in the comment section. Enjoy all four songs and have a wonderful day!

The link to the video for “Always On My Mind” by Brenda Lee, can be found here. ***The lyrics version for Brenda Lee can be found here.

The link to the website for Brenda Lee, can be found here.

The link to the video for “Always On My Mind” by Elvis Presley, can be found here. ***The lyrics version for Elvis Presley can be found here.

The link to the official website for Elvis Presley, can be found here.

The link to the music video for “Always On My Mind” by Willie Nelson, can be found here. ***The lyrics version for Willie Nelson can be found here.

The link to the official website for Wille Nelson, can be found here.

The link to the music video for”Always On My Mind” by The Pet Shop Boys, can be found here. ***The lyrics version for The Pet Shop Boys can be found here.

The link to the official website for The Pet Shop Boys, can be found here.

The link to radio station KEXP who helped to inspire the writing of this post, can be found here.

***As always, all content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2021 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History: Song #496…Crazy by Willie Nelson (RS)

This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.

RS: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.

Song #496: Crazy by Willie Nelson.

If the final question for the World Trivia Championship was, “Who wrote the following lyric: “Crazy………..crazy for feeling so blue”, I would have bet every dollar in my wallet, every dollar in my wife’s purse, all of the coins in the girl’s piggy banks, along with every sticky nickel and dime in my car coin holder, that the person who wrote the song, “Crazy” was Patsy Cline. And, I would have lost everything! “Crazy” was written and first recorded by a, then, unknown musician named Willie Nelson. Who knew? Certainly not me.

That Patsy Cline covered the song and made it her own is not in dispute. “Crazy” is, above all else, a Patsy Cline song. But, before it was a Patsy Cline song, it was a Willie Nelson song. Knowing how his legendary career turned out, it is instructive to note that there was a time when Willie Nelson was just a regular guy trying to make his way through Life, like the rest of us. But, unlike the rest of us, Nelson had a boatload of musical talent and was fortunate enough to have that noticed by the right people at the right times in his life. Patsy Cline was just one such person who helped Nelson’s career.

After signing his first recording contract, he became the bassist for singer Ray Price. Soon, he was keeping company with the likes of Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson in bands like The Highwaymen. In the mid-80s, alongside singer John Mellencamp, he helped establish a series of benefit concerts for farmers called Farm-Aid. Willie Nelson has collaborated with a Whos-Who of Country Music stars over the years; everyone from Dolly Parton, to Merle Haggard, to Mavis Staples and, more recently, Carrie Underwood. Willie Nelson has won 13 Grammy Awards, dozens of Country Music Association Awards, The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize and was ranked as the 4th Most Influential Country Music Performer of all time by C.M.T. He is one of the original Country Music Outlaws and one of the most beloved entertainers ever.

Nothing crazy about that at all.

The link for the music video for Crazy by Willie Nelson can be found here. ***The lyrics video can be found here.

Thanks, as always, to KEXP for helping to inspire the writing of this post. The link to their website can be found here.

Finally, thanks to Willie Nelson for having such a rich career and making such wonderful music for over a half-century now. The link to his official website can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared without the express written consent of the author. ©2021 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com

*Header photo was taken by Michael Ochs. The Michael Ochs Archives can be accessed here.